


Friendmance?

by TheBrokeZane



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Best Friends, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Heartache, Male-Female Friendship, Romance, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-05 17:02:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 92,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6713479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrokeZane/pseuds/TheBrokeZane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry Allen and Iris West have been best friends their entire lives. Strictly best friends. Now they're just friends and roommates. Until...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "I'm gonna live to regret this."

They met on the first day of school in Kindergarten. Mrs. Tolliver was one of those teachers that liked to put her students in pairs. She could easily do that with 22 students, so there wouldn’t be anyone left out. She also liked to shake things up a bit.

When she called out the names of her students and told them to join their partner, she didn’t do it the usual way some teachers did with doing it alphabetically. She did it with a twist. As she read off the first set of names, she hoped that it would work out in the end because most kids were terrified and didn’t know anyone. She felt it would be a good way for them to make friends.

She called off the first name in her roll book.

That name was Barry Allen.

She then called off the last name in her roll book.

That name was Iris West.

Iris smiled at Barry and he smiled back. Iris walked up to him and stuck out her hand the way her parents told her to do when meeting someone new.

“Hi. I’m Iris.”

“Hi. I’m Barry.”

And that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

 

Now Barry and Iris were both 25, and have been best friends since that first day in kindergarten. They both lost their fathers when they were 11 and 13 and that somehow brought them closer. Iris' father Joe died when she was 13 from pancreatic cancer and Barry's father died in a boating accident when he was 11. They never considered each other like brother and sister because that seemed weird to them for some reason. They were strictly just best friends.

They were like peas in a pod always. Neither one of them thought it was weird that they had a best friend of the opposite sex. However, everyone else did. Some just knew they were hooking up and just keeping it a secret. Guys became friends with Barry just to get close to Iris. They figured that since Barry was a huge nerd, Iris wasn’t really interested in him and they could get close to her. Some did that just to get them to admit that they were hooking up. They kept enforcing that they were just friends and nothing was or would ever happen. Even their mothers, Francine and Nora, who were also best friends, didn't think it was happening. They just assumed that Barry and Iris were just best friends and were happy with that arrangement.

Since they were best friends and loved each other's kids like their own, Francine and Nora each had no problem with their son and daughter getting together. It was normal for Nora to see Iris spend the night. Barry always gave Iris the bed and he slept on the floor. The same at Francine's. Barry would sleep over, always on the floor. Barry was literally the son that Francine didn't have. He did manly things like mow her lawn, take out the trash, wash her car, and shovel snow.

Barry and Iris both stood by while each other dated other people though they did go to the prom together. Neither wanted to be bothered with a date, so they went with each other. They graduated Central City High together but went to different colleges. Barry went to Starling City University on an academic scholarship. Iris went to Central City University where she majored in Criminal Psychology. She figured she'd make a great detective or maybe even a lieutenant. Her father was a detective and wanted to be just like him. Barry majored in Chemistry, with dreams of becoming a forensic scientist.

Barry was established in his career in forensic science while Iris was in her last year of Graduate School. Barry moved back to Central City after college and was now working for the Central City police department. Iris was living with him because she had no desire to live with her mother, Francine. It was her way of asserting herself as independent even if she was living with Barry. She helped out with the bills with her part time job at Jitters. She knew she wouldn’t be able to afford living on her own until she finished school and started working full time.

Iris truly appreciated Barry letting her just live with him but he didn't think anything of it or twice about it. His apartment was big enough, and he and Iris had their privacy. Some of the women he brought home wondered what was up with him having a female roommate, but Iris and Barry always assured people that they were just friends.

And they were.

* * *

 

Iris came home from school after taking an exam that almost did her in. On top of the paper that she had to write, the exam that she had to study for took a lot out of her. She couldn't wait to finish Grad School, get her degree, and start her career. Sometimes she wanted to smack herself for choosing a career she had to go to grad school for. College was enough though she really learned a lot and made some awesome friends. She still had her friends Laurel, Felicity, and Caitlin from high school. She met her good friend Linda at college who was from Keystone City. They met as freshmen and were tight ever since. Linda now lived in Central City and worked as a sports journalist at Picture City News.

She practically collapsed on the couch and went to sleep shortly thereafter. She awoke to someone slightly rustling her. She opened her eyes to see Barry standing over her with his cute and awkward grin on his face.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty." Barry says in a joking tone.

Iris started to sit up and looked around. Barry was home. She had been asleep for a long time. "What time is it?" She asks as she rubs her forehead.

"It's almost six. What time did you lay down?" He asks as he sits on the sofa at the other end.

"Almost six? I got here a little after 2. I can't believe I slept that long. I think studying and writing that paper did me in." Iris says as she fully sits up.

"How did you do on the test?" Barry asks in concern as he grabs the remote and turns the tv on.

"I think I did good. Thanks for quizzing me." Iris says and then smiles at her best friend.

"You don't have to thank me for that. That's what friends are for." He says and gives her the smile she has probably seen a million times before.

"I know; I just don't want you to think that I don't appreciate it. That's all. I am living here practically for free after all. I owe you my first-born child." Iris jokes.

Barry starts to laugh. "I know you appreciate it. Just name your first-born child after me. I want you to succeed so that you can get out of here." Barry says with a straight face.

Iris pays him no mind. "Yeah, right. You couldn't survive here without me. Who's going to make sure you eat right and keep this place looking presentable? Who's going to make sure you have clean underwear and don't die in your sleep after a night of drinking too much?" Iris fires her questions, sounding more like his wife than his friend.

"Yes, Mom." Barry says and then laughs.

Iris tosses a pillow at him. She stands and walks toward the kitchen. She goes to the fridge and opens the freezer as well. "What do you want for dinner?" Iris asks while she continues to stare into the freezer.

"I don't have a taste for anything. I love all of your cooking. You know that." Barry answers and gets comfortable unbuttoning his shirt and kicking his Chucks off.

Iris continues to look and remembers the roast beef she bought. "Open faced roast beef sandwiches it is." She says absently. She reaches into the fridge and grabs two beers. She then reaches into the cupboard and grabs a bag of chips. She just walks over and hands the beer to Barry and opens the bag of chips as she settles on the couch as well.

"Thanks, Iris." Barry says and then opens his beer. "Oh. The department is having a policeman’s ball and I was wondering if you'd be my date." He states while focusing on an old episode of  _The King of Queens._

“You’re not even a cop.”

“I know I’m not a cop. I still work for the force, smart ass.”

"Why me? You can't ask that Barbie named Beck-y Coo-per you parade through here?" Iris asks in a joking, but taunting tone.

“Why do you say it like that?”

“Because Beck-y is a nightmare.”

Barry rolled his eyes playfully at her.

"I don't want to ask her. I'm going to be in front of my boss. She'd just make me look bad. You won't." Barry replies and flashes her a grin.

“I thought you liked Beck-y.”

“I do. She gave a nerd like me some attention.”

“You’re an adorable nerd.” Iris adds.

“Thanks. I just don’t want to take her, ok?” Barry says and leaves it at that. He was starting to see what Iris was talking about when she said that Becky was a nightmare. He just didn’t want Iris to win. He was trying to save face, but knew that eventually he would have to call it quits with her.

"What's in it for me?" Iris asks.

Barry looks at her. "I know you're kidding. I should start charging you rent." He jokes.

"Whatever." Iris says.

"I'll buy you a new dress. How's that?" Barry says and takes a sip of his beer.

"I want some shoes too. And you're the designated driver." Iris says.

"Don't push your luck, Iris. I'm not going to get drunk. It's a ball. I have to make a good impression." Barry says.

"Alright Barry. You've got yourself a deal. How many other times do I get to go out with a guy, get a dress and some shoes out of it, and I don't have to sleep with him afterwards?" Iris says happily.

"The shoes are a done deal now that you're bragging." Barry states as he stares at the tv and grabs the bag of chips from her.

"You don't really mean that, Bartholomew." Iris says and pokes out her bottom lip like she's sad.

"Yes, I do." Barry says in a serious tone. Iris slides closer to him on the couch and pokes out her lip further and gives him that face. "Well, I did. But I'm a sucker for that face." He responds and leans over to peck her on the nose.

Iris smiled like a little girl. "That was too easy." She says and then jumps up from the couch and runs to her room.

"That's the last time that works, Iris." Barry calls after her. He smirked and then took another sip of his beer.

* * *

 

The next evening, Iris decided to take a hot shower to relax herself from her stressful day in grad school. She was nearing the end and it was really kicking her butt. She was seriously counting down the days until she graduated. She could not wait. She was ready to start her life. And not move out like Barry said before. She knew he was just joking. She and Barry had the perfect set up going on. If it isn’t broke, don't fix it. She and Barry got along great and lived together beautifully. She wasn't moving out until she met someone or he did and wanted to move her in. But right now, she was staying put. She'd live with Barry forever if she could. She knew that wasn't possible, but she seriously wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. She figured they'd both want to start their lives somewhere around 30. She set that as the time they really had to become full-fledged adults.

Iris was enjoying her almost too hot shower when her shower head broke off. She was beyond pissed. "What the hell?!" Iris says and can't believe her luck. She was covered in soap suds. This was now a time when she wished that she had a bathtub. She could easily turn her shower into a bath. Now she had to go and use Barry's. Their guest bathroom only had a toilet and a sink; useless just like her bathroom now was. She wondered how long she'd have to share with Barry before hers got fixed. She cursed again as she turned off the broken shower and stepped out. She wrapped a towel around herself and poked her head out of her bedroom. She had to make sure that Barry didn't have any company or just some strange folks in their living room.

Barry was sitting on the sofa watching tv. She quietly tried to tip toe past him and go into his bedroom unnoticed and undetected. He briefly took his eyes off the tv and looked at her creeping into his bedroom. "Iris, where are you going?" He asks in confusion after wondering why she'd be walking into his room wearing just a towel.

"My shower head broke off. I need to use yours." She says and continues on to his bedroom.

"I don't want you to use my shower. You might have cooties or something and leave them in there." He joked.

"I don't have cooties. What are you, 12?" She asks and makes a face.

"I'm young at heart." He jokes and they both laugh. "Don't use any of my shampoo." He says once he goes back to watching tv.

"I don't wash my hair nearly as much as you do, Bartholomew." Iris jokes this time

"Funny." He says. "I'm serious. Don't use any of my shampoo."

"You'd better hope I don't pour some  _Nair_ into that bottle of shampoo you don't want me to touch." Iris says in a serious tone before she fully walks into his bedroom.

Barry sits for a bit and quietly continues to watch tv. He gets an uneasy feeling and gets up to head to Iris' bedroom. He wasn't taking any chances. He and Iris played practical jokes on each other, and he'd seriously have a problem if she really did put something in his shampoo. He liked his hair just the way it was. He knew that a bald head would not look good on him. He walked into her bathroom and got her bottle of  _Nair._ He was not playing around with his best friend. He was coming out of her bathroom while she was walking into her bedroom. He tried to hide the bottle, but she saw it.

"What are you doing in here? And why do you have that?" She questions.

"I came to see you naked." He says, changing the subject.

"What? Get the hell out of here Barry! And put my stuff back!" Iris yells.

Barry starts to laugh. He sat down on her bed and stared at her. "You must really need this hair removal lotion, don't you?" He says in a teasing manner.

"No, I don't." She says and walk over to him. "Give me my stuff and get out."

"Do you have hair on your chest or something you're trying to get rid of? On your back? Let me see." He teases.

"I said give me my stuff and get out. You're being a douche." Iris says as she reaches for it.

Barry starts to play keep away now. "No no no no." He says and swats her hand away.

"Seriously Barry. Stop kidding around." Iris exclaims and reaches for it again. Her towel slides off her body, leaving her completely naked in front of him. His eyes immediately scanned her entire body quickly before she squatted to pick it up. She adjusted the towel around herself. "Do you see what you did? Get out now!" Iris yells in aggravation.

Barry immediately feels bad for her dropping her towel, for making her mad, and for looking at her naked body. He felt like a perv for looking at her in that way when she was his best friend. He was glad she didn't see him scanning her body with his eyes. "I'm… sorry... I…didn't mean…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean for that to happen." He apologizes. He knew he should have looked away, but it was such a shock that he couldn’t. Seeing Iris naked instantly made him nervous. And excited.

"Sure you didn't." Iris says. "Are you going to leave, or what? I need to get dressed." Barry felt so confused because he didn't want to move. He forced himself to stand up. When he did, Iris snatched the bottle of  _Nair_ from his hand. "Jerkoff." She says.

"I said I was sorry. You don't have to keep calling me names." Barry says in a playfully hurt tone.

Iris scowled at him. "You're a douchebag and you know it. I'm going to get my revenge though. You just wait and see." She says smartly.

Barry decided to try his hand even if she was visibly upset about him seeing her in the nude. "Do you want to see me naked to make it even?" He nervously asks.

Iris looks at him and makes a face. "I don't want to see you naked. I wouldn't be seeing much anyway." She again says in a smart tone.

Barry revolts and scoffs. He thinks he knows what she means. He would love to show her how wrong she is. He locked eyes with her and almost spoke, but decided not to. He just stood and leaves her room without another word.

* * *

 

That following Saturday, Iris got up early. She felt like going for a run. It was a beautiful September morning. It was sunny and it was starting to turn crisp. The leaves were about to start changing. She loved this time of year. It was one of the main things she loved about living up north. She also loved snow in the winter. She loved white Christmases. Snow was a pain in the ass, but so beautiful. Nothing beats a snowball fight between friends.

She put on her workout gear and got her iPod and headed to the kitchen where she found Barry pouring cereal into a bowl. "Good morning, Bart." Iris says and avoids eye contact with him.

He avoided eye contact with her as well. Things had gotten pretty awkward between them since the other night.

"I hate it when you call me, Bart. That's not my name." He says smartly as he pours milk into his cereal.

"It's part of your name, Bartholomew." Iris says and goes to the fridge for a bottle of water.

“Yeah, but you know I hate it. I want you to move out.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I just decided that I'm not going to the ball with you tonight. I'm not cooking or cleaning either. And then I'll make a scene when you have company over." Iris says and playfully sticks her tongue out at him.

"A scene like what?" He asks in an amused tone.

"I'll tell your Barbie that we're married and we're swingers or something. Really make her think something is going on between us when she’s not here.”

"You don't play fair. You always go below the belt. I'm going to have to reevaluate our friendship." He counters and continues to eat his cereal.

"Good luck with that. You can't live without me. We've been friends for over 20 years. You're stuck with me. See you later, Bear." Iris says.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Barry asks.

"I'm going for a run. Why?" Iris wonders.

"It's too late for you to try to make yourself look good in that dress. The ball is tonight." He jokes.

Iris walks over and playfully and lightly smacks the back of his head. "I don't need to try."

"Do you want some company?" Barry asks as he stands with his empty bowl and walks over to the sink. He figured that doing that could ease some of the awkward tension between them.

"Sure." Iris looks him over. "You're not going like that though, are you?" She asks as she stares at him in just boxers and a tank.

"Of course not. Give me 5 to throw on something." He says and heads to his room in a flash. He comes back out minutes later in shorts and a tee-shirt. He had his iPod as well. "Ready?" He asks. He looked over at Iris who was stretching and got a weird feeling. It felt like his heart or stomach dropped. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what? What's wrong with you, Bear?" Iris asks, though she's concerned for her friend.

"I just felt like I got punched in the gut. That milk wasn't expired, was it?" He asks.

"No, I don't think so. I just bought it and I checked the date. I hope you're not getting sick." Iris says sincerely.

"Thanks. I hope not either." Barry says and really hopes he isn't getting sick.

"Well if you do, you know I'll take care of you." She says and then smiles at him, lighting up the room.

"I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Iris." He states and smiles at her.

"Of course you are." She jokes and walks over to him and hooks her arm in his. "Let's go, Bear." Iris says and Barry gets that weird feeling in the pit of his stomach again.

* * *

 

Later that evening, Barry and Iris got ready for Barry's policeman’s ball. He loved that he was just going with Iris and didn't have to pretend and put on a show. He could just have a fun night with his best friend. Iris felt the same way. She was glad to be going out on a no pressure date with her best friend as well. She knew that she could just be herself and not have him expect something at the end of the night.

She really liked going out with Barry anyway. They always had a ball and she knew this would be no exception. She wouldn't really know anyone there, but she didn't care about that. She was a social butterfly. She just hated dating jerky guys. Some of them really had a problem with Barry. Had a problem with her living with him. They didn't believe her at all when she just said he was her best friend and roommate. Even in Central City, with sky-high rent and millennials moving back home, they found it hard to believe that they were just roommates. They thought she was playing games. A few times, she even told guys that Barry was gay. They didn't believe her and she really blew her cover when Barry had company as well. Female company. They thought they were just having threesomes and orgies all the time. People figured that she and Barry were too attractive to not be attracted to each other. Whatever the hell that meant.

She found it hard to date without any drama. So she enjoyed when she didn't have to explain things and just went out with Barry. He already knew her likes and dislikes and she knew his. They didn't have to skirt around anything. No awkward touches or glances. No expectations. She went home with him and went to get in her own bed without having to make any excuses. No lying about where she lives. No lying, saying they should call her again when she hoped they wouldn't. Barry was the best and she loved him dearly.

She dressed in the black dress that Barry bought for her. It was short but it had long, laced sleeves with a scooped back. It form fitted her body but it wasn't tight. It stopped just above her knee and she wore some black Christian Louboutin heels. She swooped her hair to one side in flowing ringlets. She put on her signature red lipstick. She loved how her lips looked with red on them. She grabbed her clutch. She was ready to go.

Iris walked out of her room and saw Barry standing in the kitchen. She was a little shocked that he was already ready to go, instead of his perpetual lateness. He had on a black suit, black bowtie, and white shirt and it struck Iris just how handsome he looked. Of course she knew that Barry was good looking and adorable, but she never really paid it any attention. Well, she did. She thought Barry was adorkable. He was the cutest nerd she knew. His being smart was a good thing. She reeled herself back in and stopped thinking of Barry as her hot best friend. That lasted about two seconds because he looked really good and she almost forgot that he was her best friend. He was drinking a glass of water. She watched him swallow it and he just looked at her. He had to remind himself that Iris was his best friend since they were 5 and not a real date. He wasn't blind; he knew how beautiful Iris was. He always thought so. Everybody thought Iris was gorgeous. She was his friend though. Why was he thinking dirty thoughts about his best friend? He really started to think he was a perv because his mind went back to the other night when he saw her naked. He took another sip and kept staring at her.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He turned towards the sink and said, "You look really nice." He stated as he sat his glass in the sink.

She wondered why he turned his back to her when he said it. "Thanks. Why don’t you look nice?" Iris jokingly asks, expecting him to turn around and counter her joke with a smart remark.

"Thanks for agreeing to go to this with me." Barry says once he has turned around. He has a weird look on his face.

Iris looked at the weird look on his face and started to feel weird herself. She felt a flutter in her stomach. She needed to eat. "Are you ok, Bear?" She asks her best friend in concern.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" He asks in a somber tone.

"What's wrong? Did you change your mind about the ball? We can stay home and order a pizza and play poker." Iris suggests and then smiles.

"No, I didn't change my mind. We're going. We can play poker another night. That will give you time to actually learn how to play." He jokes as he walks from the kitchen.

"I already know how to play." She replies.

Barry scoffs. "You do not. You never win unless I let you." He says surely.

"You are such a liar. I win all the time." Iris says and grins.

"I let you win all the time." Barry offers as a rebuttal.

"I'm not going." Iris says and starts to walk towards her bedroom. Barry grabs her arm to stop her. Iris swallowed nervously.  _Why am I getting nervous around Barry? What the hell is going on?_

Barry got that feeling in the pit of his stomach again. "You're going, Ms. West. And that's final." He says but smiles at her.

"Ok." Iris says in a nervous voice. She kind of liked Barry taking charge like that. She didn't like how she was feeling about Barry though. Not at all.

* * *

 

Iris wondered what was going on in that crazy mind of hers. She was thinking crazy about her long time best friend and roommate, Barry. She noticed a little too much how good he looked in his suit and became increasingly aware of how hot he actually was. Barry was tall and thin, but had a better body than most people would think he has. He had the prettiest eyes and eyelashes that she envied. She wondered why she was going over Barry’s good looks when she never really did that before. She didn't think twice about him seeing her naked at the time and she didn't think he did either. Sure it was the first time that he had seen her like that, but she wasn't ashamed of her body. It was bound to happen since they lived together. She had never seen him naked before and intended to keep it that way. She just figured it was a slip up that happened. They had been friends for 20 years and that's the first time that happened throughout all their sleepovers and them living together. She didn't feel the need to make it a bigger deal than it was. Besides, Barry has seen women naked before. Her body isn't that special for him to be bent out of shape about it.

"So you think you can just boss me around now?" Iris asks in a joking tone to get herself back on track.

"Of course not. But I already held up my end of the bargain, and you have to do the same." Barry says as they walk over to the door.

"You're right. I can't go back on my word. It's not like I can take this dress back anyway." Iris states and they walk out of their shared apartment, that's really Barry's but Iris feels like is hers. She knows she never has to worry about being homeless.

"You know you can't take that dress back once you put cooties in it. You might as well keep it." He says and smiles at her as he presses the elevator button.

"Cooties? Really? You are such a nerd! We're back to that? Are you really a 9-year-old hiding in a 25-year old's body?" Iris asks as she eyes him.

"Yes. You will always have cooties as far as I'm concerned. And last time you asked me if I was 12, now 9? Are you losing your memory?" Barry jokes then hops on the elevator behind Iris.

"No, I'm not losing my memory. But when you keep saying I have cooties, I'm going to make you seem like the immature jerkoff that you are. Only 9-year-old boys say girls have cooties." Iris says as she presses the button for the lobby.

"Not my fault you have cooties, Iris" He says with a straight face.

"Just like it won't be my fault when you get sick the next time I cook." Iris counters smartly and shrugs.

"You did do something to the milk, didn't you?" Barry accuses.

"No, I didn't. I drink that milk too. Why would I do something to it?" Iris wonders.

"Because you're still upset about the other night. You said you would get your revenge and you did by trying to make me sick." Barry fires his accusations.

"What about the other night? When you were being a douche by playing keep away and making me drop my towel in front of you? I'm not even thinking about that. You barely saw anything anyway. What's the big deal? You've seen a naked woman before." Iris states flippantly and brushes it off.

"Oh I saw. I told you you could see me naked to make it even." Barry says as he stares at her.

"That's gross, Barry." Iris says and deadpans him.

He felt his heart drop. _Gross. Yeah, she thinks I’m gross. I know Iris would never be interested in me that way._ He got sad just thinking about it.

They ride the rest of the way in silence. They stop at the lobby and head to the garage where Iris keeps her car parked. “You’re driving.” She says and tosses him the keys. She and Barry settled into her car and he started it up. He looked over at her briefly before he pulled off. "What?" Iris asks in a smart tone.

"Nothing." He says and speeds out of the garage. _Nothing at all,_ Barry thought bitterly. _She thinks I’m a gross nerd._

“What is wrong with you? You’ve been acting weird all day.” Iris says.

 _I saw you naked and it fucked me up,_ Barry thinks to himself. “Nothing, really. You know how I am about social events.”

“You’ll be fine, Bear. You have me there to make you look good.” Iris says and smiles.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, I’m sure. If you’re worried, you should have brought Beck-y Coo-per.” She says in a smart tone.

“I’m going to start calling you Becky.”

Iris looked at Barry with daggers in her eyes. "We'll see if you call me that at this party. Or when you have company. Wait until Ms. Cooper comes over again.  Two can play this game, Bart." Iris says in the same smart tone. "No, you'd just better not ever call me Beck-y."

"Please don't embarrass me in front of my colleagues." Barry says calmly.

"I won't. As long as you don't call me Beck-y." Iris answers truthfully. "You know I wouldn't do that to you."

"I know." Barry says as he briefly glances over at her again.

"That doesn't go for at home though. We are at war there." She says as she turns to stare out the passenger side window with a mischievous grin on her face.

Barry drove to the  _Marriott_ where they were having the policeman’s ball. He gave the keys to the valet and he and Iris walked into the hotel to the ballroom. "This is great, Bear. Thank you for inviting me.” Iris says once they fully enter and she sees all the balloons. She saw lots of people milling about and most were dressed in black just like she and Barry were. People were chatting and she saw a live band on the small stage in front of the Dance floor. The tables were set up with finger foods along the walls and it had an open bar. There were several tables set up throughout the room. Barry and Iris stayed close together as they walked into the ballroom further.

“You’re welcome, but I’m getting something out of the deal too. They’re having a holiday ball too on New Year’s Eve. Do you want to come to that too?”

"I'll do it but I'm upping my asking fee." Iris jokes.

"To what? What more could I give you?" Barry asks incredulously, though he's joking.

"You've never given me jewelry. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend." Iris says and then grins.

Barry sneered as they walked towards the hors d'oeuvre table. "I thought I was your best friend." He says in a hurt tone.

"You are my best friend. You know what I meant, Bear." Iris counters.

Barry picks up two small plates and hands Iris one. He got buffalo wings, coconut shrimp and meatballs for both of them. He got salad for Iris until she cleared her throat and he gave himself some too. "I should have just brought my mother." Barry tries to say under his breath.

"Really? Then I guess I'm telling people I'm your mother. They'll think I was 5 when I had you. Then once they're blown away by that, I'm going to kiss you on the mouth. I bet that'll be a real conversation starter at work Monday." Iris says as she eats one of her shrimp.

"I thought you said you weren't going to make me look bad in front of my colleagues." Barry states quietly.

"I lied." Iris says and then walks away and goes to sit at an empty table.

Barry sighed and walked over to the table and sat down next to her. He looks at her and gives her the sad, puppy dog eyes. They have the same effect on her that her poked out bottom lip and sad face has on him. "Don't make me look bad, please." Barry short of begs.

"I told you I'm not. Jeez. What's gotten in to you? You're acting strange again." Iris says and eats more of her food.

Barry took a sip of the ice water that was on the table. He got that feeling in the pit of his stomach again. He started to eat as well, but his stomach was still doing flips. "I think I'm coming down with something. Is it hot in here to you?" He asks and takes another sip of his ice water.

Iris puts down her fork and feels his forehead with the back of her hand. He did feel warm to her. She was feeling a little warm herself. Maybe they both ate something that didn't agree with them. "You do feel a little warm. Do you want to leave? I'll make you some soup or something." Iris says and takes her hand back.

"Thanks, but not yet. I want to show my face a little more before we go." He replies and looks around. Suddenly, two guys walk up to their table. One is fairly tall and had a medium build, with blond hair and blue eyes. He had movie star good looks and was the male version of pretty. The other one was a little short and had dark shoulder length hair. He had boyish good looks and looked like he was just going through puberty.

"Hey, Barry. How are you?" The dark-haired one asks and then sits down.

The other one kept staring at Iris and sat down as well. "I'm good so far Cisco. Hey Eddie." Barry says. He forgets all about introducing Iris.

Iris lightly nudges him in the side. "Hello. I'm Iris. Nice to meet you two." She says and smiles at both of them and scowls at Barry.

"You weren't going to introduce us to your girlfriend, Barry?" Eddie asks.

Iris answers for him. "I'm not his girlfriend. We're best friends." She says and Barry and Eddie both look at her. "What?" She asks Barry.

He looked wounded. "Nothing. She's right. This is my best friend. That might change soon though." Barry says and Cisco laughs.

"When you told us your best friend was a girl, I wasn't expecting her to look like this." Eddie says and smiles. His eyes linger on Iris for a bit. She felt herself blush. Barry noticed it and forced himself to smile. He didn't like it and he didn't know why.

"I guess I can say thanks. What did you expect me to look like?" Iris ponders.

"Like Shrek in a dress. Or the bearded lady from the circus." Eddie says.

"She's ok from far away but she has really bad b.o. and bad habits like picking her nose and eating it." Barry jokes.

Iris nudges him again, harder this time. "I do not! Do not pay him any attention. I smell just fine and I don't pick my nose. Prick." She says and all three guys laugh.

"Your boyfriend is ok with you having a guy for a best friend?" Eddie asks not so subtly. His eyes stay on Iris as he's talking.

"I don't have a boyfriend, but if I did, he would have to be ok with it. Barry and I are joined forever. Even when he makes me mad." Iris says.

Eddie grinned widely and had a twinkle in his eye. “That’s interesting. But also great. Who says a man and a gorgeous woman can’t just be friends?”

Barry looked at Eddie and the smile he had on his face and it made him uneasy. He didn’t like how Eddie just dismissed the notion of him and Iris. Then he was blatantly flirting with her. He now wished that he had told Iris to pretend to be his girlfriend.

"Excuse me." She says and then stands.

Barry grabs her hand quickly. "Where are you going?" He asks quietly.

"Just to the ladies’ room. I'll be right back." She replies, then she's off. Eddie watched her walk away. It made something boil inside Barry as he watched him watch her like a piece of meat. Eddie was a good guy, but Barry instantly hated his guts.

Once Iris is out of listening range, Eddie speaks. "Allen, that's your best friend? Are you kidding us Barry? What's wrong with her?" He asks.

"Yes, she's my best friend. Nothing is wrong with her. Why do you assume something is wrong with her?" He asks in wonderment.

Eddie and Cisco exchange glances. "What guy has a best friend that hot if something isn't wrong with her? Is she really a guy?" Eddie asks in a serious tone.

"I don't look at her like that. No, she's not a guy. I've just known her since I was 5." Barry says.

"Are you two related or something then? Like cousins or something and you can't touch her? She is pretty hot, Barry." Cisco says.

"No, we're not related. We share no DNA." Barry replies in assurance.

"Was she really huge or really ugly and then just suddenly got hot?" Eddie asks.

"No. I know Iris is beautiful. She has always been beautiful. I just only look at her as my friend. Don't you guys have female friends?" Barry asks quizzically.

"None that look like that." Cisco says.

"She must have put you in the friend zone then. That has to be it." Eddie says.

"That's not it. She's like my sister." Barry says and almost winces. That's the first time he has ever had to say that to someone and it made him feel uneasy. He certainly wasn't having sisterly thoughts about his best friend. He wished he had never seen her naked. He knew Iris had so many good qualities about her that any man would be lucky to have. She was essentially perfect. Not really perfect because no one is, but she was an incredible woman. She had been his best friend his whole life. That wasn't by accident. He knew she was gorgeous. A blind person could see her beauty. He just never paid it any attention because he didn't have to. He never considered Iris for himself. He thought she would end up with a guy totally different than him. She was just his friend that he would probably walk down the aisle since her father was dead.

Then he saw her naked and that changed her in his eyes. He saw her as a bona fide woman. He always knew she had a nice body because he's seen her in bikini's. He never saw her more undressed than that. He never wondered what was under it. Now he saw it and he knew. He knew what her body looked like naked and it turned him on. Her body was perfect to him. He knew her before she had breasts, now she had them and he saw them up close. She wasn't a little girl to him anymore. Not the little girl he grew up with. Not the little girl he pushed on the swing at the park. Not the little girl who stood up for him when he was getting bullied. He was in trouble. He was starting to want more than friendship with Iris and knew that it would potentially ruin their friendship. But he knew that Iris would never be interested in him.

Iris came back to the table and sat down. She had a glass of white wine in her hand and she handed Barry a glass that Barry knew was scotch. "Alright. Everything this creep said is a lie." Iris jokes.

"Sorry, Iris. He only said good things." Cisco says and smiles.

"That's because I want to talk about you in front of you. She's a huge slob guys. You should see her room. And she can't even boil water without burning it. She's crazy as hell. I often think she's trying to kill me. I have to sleep with a bat in my bed." Barry says as he chuckles then smirks at Iris. She was about to respond, but Eddie started to speak again.

"You two live together?" Eddie asks in confusion.

"Yeah. That totally sucks for me. I'm seriously thinking of moving out though. Everything he just said is a bold-faced lie and he knows it. I keep our place from looking like an episode of  _Hoarders_.  And I'm an excellent cook. He'd be eating Ramen, pizza, and take out like a college student if it wasn't for me. He might be on to something about the bat thing though. I might sneak into his room tonight. Pray for him." Iris says. She and Barry can't help but notice Eddie and Cisco glance at each other. "What?" She asks as she looks at Barry's coworkers.

Cisco and Eddie both laugh, though Eddie is still eyeing Iris. He's practically undressing her with his eyes. "You two are like an old married couple. I wish I was a third roommate to see what goes on at your pIace." Cisco says and they all laugh.

"We're not like an old married couple, Cisco." Barry says surely.

"That's the first right thing he has said." Iris says in agreement. They all laugh again. Two women walk up to the table and Iris assessed them like she would anyone.

They were both White and pretty. One was tall, slim, with blonde hair and wearing a burgundy dress. The other one was even prettier than her with long,  medium dark hair and she was wearing a black dress. Cisco seemed to eye her intently. The blonde one had heart eyes when she looked at Barry.

"Hey Barry." The blonde one said seductively. Iris felt a little miffed and almost rolled her eyes. She didn't though. She didn’t understand why the way she looked at and addressed Barry pissed her off.

"Hey guys. Hello." The other one says and acknowledges Iris. She smiles at everyone at the table. The other one is eyeing Barry hard.

"Hey." Cisco and Eddie say in unison.

"Hey Patty and Lisa." Barry says. "This is my girlfriend Iris." Patty looks like she's ready to attack Iris. Iris knows he said that because she likes him and he isn't interested.

Iris smiled widely. "Nice to meet you Patty and Lisa." She says. She can literally see Patty mentally calling her a bitch.

Patty put on a fake smile, but kept her mouth shut. "It nice to meet you too." Lisa says and Patty tugs on her arm to pull her away. "See you guys later."

Iris leaned close to Barry and whispered in his ear. "Why did you say I was your girlfriend?" She asks though she knows why.

"So she gets the idea that I'm not interested." Barry says.

"Why aren't you interested? She's pretty." Iris says.

"She's not my type. And she's too aggressive." Barry states.

"But she looks like a Barbie doll." Iris jokes.

Barry feigns offense. "That's not even true. I'm just not interested." He says and leaves it at that. Patty was a little too aggressive for him. She seemed to come onto him instantly when she transferred. She always seemed to pop up, even in places that weren’t work related. She was adorable and nerdy and awkward just like him and any other time he probably would have been interested in her. There was just something holding him back from going out with her.

Suddenly a Black and extremely well built guy walks up with a woman wearing a dress that Iris would die for.

"Hey guys. Can we sit with you?" He asks. Everyone at the table smiles.

"The more the merrier." Barry says.

"Thanks." He says and sits down. "For those of you who haven't met her, this is my wife Lyla." She smiles and waves at everyone.

"Hi. I'm Iris." She says and smiles at the nice looking couple.

"Nice to meet you, Iris. I'm John, but most people just call me Diggle."

"I really like your dress." Iris says and smiles, admiring the green cocktail dress Lyla is wearing.

"Thank you. I like yours too." She says and then beams.

"Thank you." She patted Barry on his back. "You hear that? Somebody likes the dress you bought me."

Barry smiled. "They should as much as I spent on it."

"The next one will be more." Iris says and smiles. Everyone at the table laughs. They continue making small talk when they see the servers bringing out the main course. The meal is stuffed chicken breast, veggie lasagna, red potatoes, and string beans. They all start digging into their food. They watched as Iris cut her chicken breast and gave Barry a large portion of it and he gave her his veggie lasagna. Barry took one of her potatoes and Iris playfully smacked his hand. Neither one had any idea that they were being watched. They seemed to be so in sync. Even the married couple was taken aback at how in tune and into each other Barry and Iris were.

"How long have you two been married?" Lyla asks casually.

Barry and Iris look up to many eyes staring at them. "Huh?" Iris asks in confusion.

"I asked how long you two have been married." Lyla repeats.

"We're not married. We're just friends." Iris answers.

"Really?" Lyla asks in awe.

Iris smiles and looks at Barry before answering. "Yup. We've been best friends since we were kids. Ever since the first day of kindergarten. That must be why you think we're married." Iris states and smiles again. “Plus we live together.”

"Wow. If I didn't ask, I would just assume that you two were a married couple. You look really good together, if I might add." Lyla states.

"She's right." Cisco says. "I totally thought you guys were a couple too."

"Me too." Diggle says.

Eddie doesn't say anything but he's still eyeing Iris. Barry is really starting to hate Eddie's guts and just his presence.

"Well, we've known each other since we were 5. We know each other really well. I guess that's it." Iris says. She turns to Barry because his coworkers are starting to annoy her with all the couple and married talk. She and Barry are just friends.  _Why is that so hard for people to understand?_  She hooks her clutch to her wrist. "Do you want to dance?" She asks and prays that he says yes.

"Sure. We can do our funny dance." Barry jokes.

"What funny dance?" John asks.

"Just this dance we made up when we were kids. We're not going to do it though." Iris says and tugs on Barry's arm. They walk up to the dance floor and start dancing to the nice up-tempo music that they're playing. "This party is great. Thanks for asking me to come." Iris says.

"Thank you for coming. I couldn't have dealt with these people by myself." Barry says.

"Yeah, they were getting on my nerves too. Constantly asking us if we're together. Why is it so weird for people that we're just best friends? Like a man and a woman can't be just friends without involving sex?" Iris asks.

"I don't get it either." Is all Barry says. He needs to do some heavy thinking. Invite Becky over. It had been too long since he had been with her in his eyes. If he kept feeling the way he was feeling, he would do something he might regret like go into Iris' room later on that night.

They continued to dance and then the band starts to play slow music. They look at each other and laugh and Barry took Iris' hand. They started to dance to the music and noticed that Diggle and Lyla appeared on the dance floor beside them. They smiled at them and started to dance as well. Barry pulled Iris into his arms and cleared his throat. They just continued to dance to the music. Iris laid her head on Barry's chest and got a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Barry did too. Their dance was getting increasingly uncomfortable, but they didn't break it.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Eddie appeared and tapped Barry on his shoulder. "Can I cut in?" He asks.

Barry wanted to punch his lights out. He couldn't refuse because he knew how bad it would look. "Sure." He says and walks from the dance floor. He walks over to the bar and gets himself another scotch. He slowly drank it while he watched Iris dance with Eddie. It felt like fire going down his throat. He hated how he was feeling. He cursed under his breath when he saw Eddie place his hand on the small of her back and then twirled her around. Iris momentarily locked eyes with him and just smiled. He went and got himself another drink and just watched Iris dance with Eddie with disdain. He figured it was just a matter of time before Eddie asked her out and she accepted. He wasn’t an awkward nerd like him. Surely Iris was interested too.

When Eddie pressed all up against her, Iris started to feel uncomfortable. She got the feeling that he was interested in her, but that it also had something to do with Barry. She didn't want to become a trophy for him to brag that he won. He was insanely gorgeous and she wondered why she wasn’t as interested as she might have been.  He twirled her around and she saw Barry watching them from the bar. She saw that he was drinking another scotch. She could tell from the way he was drinking it that he was pissed off. She smiled at him to make him feel better. She couldn't wait for that song to end so that she could stop dancing with Eddie and return to their table.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Eddie asks.

"No, not really. I just got out of a relationship." Iris replies.

"Really?" He asks expectantly.

"Yeah. He really had a problem with the Barry thing. He kept accusing me of sleeping with him. He didn't think nothing was going on when we sleep in the same bed. I got tired of his jealousy." Iris lies just to see where his head was. She had been on too many dates with guys that had a problem with Barry. He was like family and was always going to be a part of her life.

"You guys sleep in the same bed?" Eddie asks incredulously.

"Yeah. Why? Is that weird?" She wonders.

"It kind of is. I see why your boyfriend was jealous. But I guess it’s ok since it’s Allen. Would you like to go out with me?" Eddie asks any way.

Iris wanted to scream. Not that Eddie isn't cute, really he was pretty, she just doesn't have time for his games. He passed the Barry test, but she didn’t know if that was necessarily a good thing. She decided to give him one shot and if he blows it, she'll send him on his way. "Sure. I can't go out during the week because I'm in grad school and my schedule is crazy." Iris says. It's the truth, but she could make time if she wanted to.

"Great. We can just head out next Saturday. If you're free." Eddie says.

"Actually, Barry and I are having a party next Saturday." Iris lies. She doesn't know why she said that. Now they might really have to have a party.

"Great. Am I invited?" Eddie asks.

"Sure. Just get my number and the details from Barry." Iris says as the slow song finally stops playing. She was greatly relieved that the song was over and Eddie could get his paws off of her. She felt a little uncomfortable after she said yes. Maybe saying yes wasn’t such a good idea.

"Thanks for the dance." Eddie says and grins at her.

"You're welcome." She says and smiles. She walked over to the bar and saw Barry talking to a man. She didn't want to interrupt, but she needed something to drink. She couldn't get another glass of wine because Barry had another scotch. She wasn't going to let him drive after that. She just needed something cold to drink that was stronger than water. "Can I have a club soda please?" Iris asks the bartender.

"Iris. Can you come over here for a second?" Barry asks. She gets her drink and walks over. Once she's there, Barry smiles and introduces her to who she assumes is his boss. "Captain Singh, this is my friend Iris. Iris this is my boss, Captain Singh."

Iris extends her hand and smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Captain Singh." She says in a jovial tone.

"Nice to meet you as well, Iris. Are you enjoying the party?" He asks.

"Yes. Very much so." Iris exclaims while Barry looks at her weirdly.

"Well, enjoy the rest of the party." Captain Singh says and he's off.

"Houston, we have a problem." Iris says once they're alone.

"What problem?" Barry questions.

"Eddie asked me out and I lied and said we were having a party. That I had to invite him to." Iris says and looks at Barry sheepishly.

Barry cringed then smirked. He scoffed before he downed the rest of his scotch. He cursed under his breath again. “I knew he was going to ask you out.” He adds with bitterness.

“Why are you so upset?”

“I’m not upset. Detective Pretty Boy had every right to ask you out.”

“Detective Pretty Boy?”

“Yeah, that’s what we call him.”

Iris looked over at the table and looked at Eddie. “He is pretty though.”

Barry rolled his eyes. Iris took in his reaction and knew that he didn’t like her accepting Eddie’s invitation for a date.

“You’re acting like me saying yes is a big deal. Do you not want me dating your coworkers?”

He ignored her. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. He knew Iris didn’t like people telling her what to do. "You owe me big. You're doing all the work for this party too." He says.

Iris frowns. "Fine. I also told him that I just broke up with my boyfriend because he was jealous of our friendship. I told him we slept in the same bed." She says and Barry smirks and then scoffs again. "I thought it would turn him off. You know how people get about our friendship."

"I see that it didn't." Barry says smartly.

"How was I supposed to know that wouldn't turn him off?" Iris asks and hopes she and Barry don't get into an argument.

"I'm not mad at you, Iris.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I'm not exactly crazy about Eddie." Barry states. He didn’t have any problems with Eddie until he hit on Iris. Barry didn’t like that at all.

“I’m not exactly crazy about Beck-y. You’ll survive.”

“Apples and oranges. My not liking him has nothing to do with you not liking Becky. I work with this dude. It’s more to it than that.”

"I figured that. You usually get along with everybody. He probably only asked me out to get to you. We might have to put on a show." Iris says.

"I like the way you think." Barry takes their glasses over to the bar. He grabs Iris' hand and drags her over to the table. "We're going to get out of here. You guys have fun." He doesn't even wait for a response as he pulls Iris with him.

Everybody at the table looks at each other. "Best friends my ass." Cisco says.

Everyone at the table agrees.

They made their way outside and had to wait for the valet to bring the car back. They waited for his car in silence. When they came back, the guy handed the keys to Barry and Iris grabbed them from his hand and walked around to the driver's side.

"I thought I was the designated driver." Barry says once they're in her car.

"How many scotches did you have?" Iris asks as she glances at him.

"Be sure to buckle up." Barry says as he secures his seat belt. Iris does the same and pulls off.

"Music?" She asks and doesn't wait for an answer. Iris turns on the radio to get rid of the silence. A song comes on that she and Barry loved when they were younger.

"Oh! Do you remember this song? We used to love this song. What was this, fourth grade?" Barry asks as he turns up the radio.

"Fifth." Iris says. Barry starts to sing along and Iris looks over at him and laughs. She figured he was really feeling those scotches. A song she liked came on and she turned it up. She started singing along to the song The Way. Singing and driving was something that Iris always loved to do, whether someone was in the car with her or not. It was something Barry had seen her do many times throughout their over 20 year friendship. Something about it was different this time. The second she started singing, it felt different.

 

_You so damn important _

Iris turned to Barry and smiled at him after that line.

_Everything you do shows me you know it_

She went back to driving and singing, then turned to him and winked.

That pretty much changed the car ride.

She felt the change in the tone in the car and looked at Barry. She had to try to lighten how heavy with pheromones it became.

"What? Don't look at me like that!" She joked.

Barry just continued to stare at her. It was like he was looking at her for the first time. He knew he could never go back. He never said a word, just watched her while she sang and drove.

 _Behind it all, you are the motive_  
_Don't tell you enough, but baby I'll show it, show it_  
_He say the king where he come from_  
_Takes a young queen just to know one_  
_So baby I'm a drive it like it's stolen_  
_I'm a fix it like it's broken_  
_We can catch a flight out to London_  
_Go to the mall spend a lump sum_  
_They can try to catch up to us_  
_But they're too busy making assumptions_  
 

She continues to drive to their place and pulls into the garage under their building.

"It still seems early. What are we going to do tonight?" Barry asks as they walk into their building and head for the elevator.

"You know what? I'm craving some _30 Rock_." Iris almost yells in excitement.

"You know the entire series is on Netflix." Barry states once they're on the elevator.

"Are you suggesting we Netflix and Chill?" Iris asks and presses the button.

"Sounds nice...I mean...I guess it does..." Barry says and fidgets a little. _Is she really asking me to Netflix and Chill? I know she knows what that means._ Barry thought to himself.

"Bear. Calm down. Netflix and Chill means just that for us." Iris says and immediately feels her heart drop. _What is going on?_ She asks herself.

Barry is insanely disappointed. "Then it's settled. Living room. I'll see you in 20 minutes." He says once they get off the elevator and walk up to their door.

"You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Allen." Iris says and heads for her room after Barry opens the door. She goes and takes a quick shower after she takes her dress off. She puts on some pajama pants and matching tank. She goes out into the living room where Barry is sitting on the sofa. He's wearing sweat pants and a tee shirt. Iris got that feeling in the pit of her stomach. Again.

Barry looked up at her and gave her a closed mouthed smile. He swallowed. He got that feeling in the pit of his stomach again as well. "Ready?" He asks once she sits down.

"I need snacks first." She says and goes to get up.

"Iris?" Barry calls after her.

"Yeah?" She turns around to look at him and he's waving a brownie at her. "How did you know I wanted this right now?" She asks as she giggles and goes to sit next to him

"Because I know you." He says and then smiles. He turns on the tv and they get settled into watching 30 Rock. They both got comfortable on the sofa as they watched the series together. Out of the blue, and completely shocking Iris, Barry leaned over and put his head in her lap. He smiled up at her and she moved the hair out of his face and smiled down at him. Her stomach dropped to her feet.

 _Uh oh._ Iris thought.

* * *

 

Iris continued to have that sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It actually felt like her heart started to flutter when Barry put his head in her lap. While it isn't something they have always done, they have done things like that before. They've laid their heads on each other's shoulders and chests, hugged countless times, held hands, and be in the same bed. They have never slept in the same bed before but after 20 years of friendship, countless sleepovers, and being roommates, they have been in the same bed watching a movie, during study time, and when the other one was sick. Now, he had his head in her lap and Iris was very aware of that fact.

Barry was enjoying himself watching _30 Rock_ with his best friend but he knew that something, everything was totally different. He kept getting that feeling in the pit of his stomach. He kept feeling like he got kicked in the gut. Not hard, but enough to knock him off kilter. Combined with the scotches he drunk, he was feeling a little woozy. He noticed that the aura and air between he and Iris had somehow changed. It was tense and awkward. However, it wasn't just plain awful. Things seemed to get a bit murky for him. He tried to put it out of his mind and started to realize that his friendship with her was more important than his feelings. He seemed to get away from that when he leaned over and put his head in her lap. The minute his head touched her lap, he felt different. He tried to shut it out when he just turned his head to smile up at her. He felt his heart flutter again when she moved his hair out of his face and smiled down at him. Her naked body flashed through his mind and he forced himself to turn his head. He couldn't look Iris in her eyes knowing he was picturing and thinking of her naked. It felt disrespectful to him.

Iris felt funny when Barry just turned his head away from her and started to focus on the tv again. She was glad that he turned his head because she couldn't look directly at him. She wanted to remove his head from her lap and go to her room and go to bed. Maybe scream into her pillow for a second. Or a minute or two. She felt so torn and so confused. She needed to change the atmosphere around them because the air felt thick with she didn't know what.

She stupidly touched his forehead with her hand. Why, she didn't know. He turned his head again to look at her. "I was just checking to see if you were still warm. You are." Iris says.

"I am?" Barry asks in surprise.

"Yeah. You might really be coming down with something. Or maybe it was all that scotch you drank. How do you feel?" She asks in concern as she stares down at him. Barry stared at her for a minute and focused on her lips. He wondered what it felt like to kiss them. He kept staring at her until Iris spoke again. "Barry? Are you ok? How are you feeling?" She asks again.

"I feel weird. I keep getting these weird pangs in my stomach. I keep feeling like I got kicked in it." Barry responds.

 _What the hell? Oh boy._ Iris thought. "Really? I wonder why. I hope it's nothing serious." She states sincerely.

Barry swallows and stares at her again. "I hope it's nothing serious either."

"Maybe you're pregnant." Iris jokes and she and Barry laugh.

"That's hilarious, Iris." Barry says. "Will you help me raise it?"

"Yes, I will. Of course it's hilarious. I'm awesome and you know it." Iris says. Barry turned his head away from her again and Iris almost cheered. They watched tv quietly for a while.

"This is great. Thanks for suggesting it." Barry says out of nowhere.

"You're welcome, Bear. I don't know why, I just instantly wanted to watch this. And only Netflix would have the entire series." She states.

"Hey, who can pass up watching Netflix with their best friend?" Barry asks.

"Nobody. I have the best company in the world." Iris says and smiles.

Barry gave her a smile back. "I couldn't ask for better company."

"We'll be up all night if we try to watch this all." Iris replies.

He shifted his head and looked up at her again. "Are you seriously suggesting that we watch all of this? You know that's impossible, right?" He asks as she smirks at her.

"That sounds like a challenge, Bear." Iris says and smiles.

"It is." He replies.

"Then challenge accepted. First one to go to sleep loses." Iris states.

"You're on." Barry says and turns his head away from her again.

Suddenly, Iris reached over and got the throw that she kept on the couch. She wrapped it around herself and purposely covered Barry's face with it. "Oops." She says absently.

He sat up and just looked at her. "If you wanted me to take my head out your lap, you could have just said so." Barry says and he sounds hurt.

"Sorry, but I was cold." Iris says and tries to change the subject.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might be cold too?" He asks, still sounding hurt.

"Nope, because you feel warm to me. And if you really are cold, you can always get under a blanket or put a sweatshirt on or something." Iris replies almost smartly.

"I feel warm because you made me sick. You probably gave me your cooties." Barry says and then smirks. Iris gets up from the couch and moves closer to him. She drapes her body all over his and starts to rub him all over. Barry pretends to struggle under her. "Stop! You're trying to kill me!" He says.

Iris became painfully aware of her rubbing on Barry's body. She couldn't stop herself though. "I'm just getting started." She says and continues to rub on him. She then suddenly stops and gets off of him. "That should do it." She says and then settles back on her side of the sofa. She adjusts the throw around her and looks over at him and sticks out her tongue.

Barry thought the absolute worst when she did that. He felt like a perv again. He had to make the situation lighter. He reached over and snatched the blanket from around her. He quickly balled it up and laid on it. "There. I have a nice body pillow." He playfully says and laughs.

"Give me the blanket back." Iris says calmly.

Barry laughs some more. "Nope." He says and adjusts it under him.

"Give it back." Iris demands.

"I already said nope." He says smartly and looks back at the tv with that smirk on his face.

Iris grabbed the bottle of water from the coffee table and opened it. She leaned over him, ready to pour. "Give it back or else." She says as the water bottle lingers over his head.

His eyes get wide and he just stares at her. "Alright. You win." Barry says and takes the blanket from under him. He holds it out for Iris and she reaches for it. He startled her by grabbing the bottle of water and pouring it on the blanket.

"You jerk! Why did you do that?" Iris practically yells.

"You asked for it." Barry replies. She let the blanket drop to the floor and ran to Barry's bedroom. She quickly slammed and locked the door. She looked around his room and wondered what she would do. She heard Barry pounding on the door. "Open the door, Iris." Barry says.

"Nope." Iris says mimicking him. She had to think fast. She ran to his bathroom and poured water into a cup. She still heard Barry pounding so that meant he wasn't in her room.

Barry pounded some more. "Open my door, Iris." He says and jiggles the knob.

"I already told you nope." Iris says repeating what he said to her a few minutes ago. She went and pulled back his comforter and poured the water into his bed. She went back and got more quickly to really wet his bed. Once she was satisfied, she put the comforter back, returned his cup and went to leave his room. She opened the door and saw him standing there just looking at her. "It's all yours." She says and tries to walks toward her bedroom. Barry grabs her arm to stop her.

"What did you do?" He asks.

Iris shrugged and smiled. "Nothing." She says and tries to walk away again.

Barry lightly pulls her into his room and kept his hand on her arm. He looked around. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. "What did you do?" He asks again.

"I told you nothing." Iris says. "I just wanted you to think I did something." She lies and smiles reassuringly.

Barry looked at her suspiciously and finally let her go. "You really didn't do anything?" He asks.

"Nope." Iris says and puts major emphasis on the word.

He looks at her and squints his eyes. "You're lying." He says and looks around his room. Iris takes this time to leave and go to her room. She quietly locked the door because she knew it wouldn't be long before he discovered what she did. Barry looked around his room and then went to his bathroom. Nothing looked out of place. "What the hell did she do?" He asks himself as he just stands and scans the room with his eyes. He shrugged and walked out into the living room expecting to see Iris on the couch. He figured she just went to the bathroom or something and went and sat down and finished watching their show. He noticed how long she was taking and knew she wasn't in the bathroom. He got up and went to her bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Iris asked quietly, pretending she was asleep.

"What's going on? You're done for the night?" Barry asks.

"Yeah. I'm tired. Good night." Iris replies and tries to contain her laughter.

"You know you lost though right?" Barry asks through the door.

"Yeah, I know. We'll discuss your reward tomorrow." Iris states.

"Ok. Good night, Iris." Barry says.

"Good night, Barry." She counters.

Barry goes to turn everything off and heads to his room. He got in his bed and felt the wetness. He now knows what she did. "Iris! You wet up my bed!" He yelled as he jumped out the bed. He had to stare at it for a bit to fully realize that she wet his bed. He went straight to her room.

Iris had to stifle her laughter into her pillow when she heard him yell. She heard him knocking on her door. "Yeah?" She asks in that same voice.

"Open the door, Iris." Barry says calmly.

"I'm sorry Barry, but I'm really tired. Can it wait until tomorrow?" She asks softly.

"No, it can't wait. Open the door." He says again in a calm voice.

"What is it, Barry?" Iris asks and covers her face again with the pillow.

"Uh, I think you know." He says.

"I do?" Iris questions in mock confusion.

"Yeah, you do. You wet up my bed." Barry says. He loves how calm he has remained through this.

"Oh. Is that all?" Iris asks in her sweet voice.

"All? You wet up my bed Iris. I can't flip it and you know it." He says.

"Sorry about that. That was payback for wetting up my blanket." Iris replies in a smart tone. "How does it feel?" She taunts.

"Well played." Barry says.

"Have fun sleeping on the sofa." Iris says dismissively. "Sweet dreams."

Barry scoffed and shook his head. He seemingly admitted defeat. Then he went into the kitchen and looked through the drawers. He had some confidence that seemed to come out of nowhere. Then he realized he had some scotches and that was giving him liquid courage. Had it not be for the drinks, and the change in their friendship, he would have admitted defeat and went back to his room. He walked back to Iris' bedroom. A mere few minutes later, he had picked her lock. He loved the look of absolute shock and surprise on her face when he entered her room. She was sitting up in bed playing a game on her IPad. "Iris? Hey! It's funny running into you like this. How's life?" He asks and smiles at her while exhaling.

"What are you doing in here, Barry?" Iris asks impatiently.

Barry chuckles. "You wet up my bed. What do you think I'm doing here?" He asks. He quietly shut her door and walked over and sat on the bottom of her bed.

"How did you get in here?" She asks.

"I picked the lock. It wasn't hard to do at all." He says and then stands. He walked around her bed and got in. He was borderline intoxicated, but totally aware of his actions. If it backfired, he could always blame it on the alcohol.

"What the hell are you doing, Barry?" Iris shrieks.

"I'm sleeping with you tonight. I can't sleep in a wet bed." Barry says. He gets out of the bed and gets under the covers.

"You are not sleeping in here." Iris states vehemently.

"Yes, I am. You wet up my bed. There are consequences to your actions. Good night." He says and then fluffs her pillow. He was glad his liquid courage was right there along with him. Now wasn’t the time to revert back to Geek extraordinaire, Barry Allen.

Iris's eyes almost bug out as she stares at him like he has totally gone postal. "Do you really think I'm going to let you sleep in my bed with me? Have you lost your mind?" She asks incredulously.

He looked over at her and smiled. "Of course you're going to let me sleep in here. Unless you want to sleep on the floor or the couch. I doubt it though." He states and grins.

"My bed isn't big enough for you too." Iris says.

"Yes, it is. This is a queen sized bed." He counters.

"Yes. A queen sized bed for Queen Iris West. Not you." She states matter of factly.

"Nonsense. This bed is big enough for two people and we both know it. Lots of couples sleep in a queen sized bed." Barry says as he grins at her.

"We cannot sleep in the same bed." Iris states with conviction.

"Yes, we can. We're only going to sleep." He turned on his side to look at her. "What? Are you afraid something else is going to happen?" Barry asks and then stares at her again.

She got warm from him asking her that. "No. I'm not afraid something else is going to happen. That's gross. Just like us sleeping in the same bed is gross. Leave. Now." Iris says.

Barry ignores her. "I guess you weren't lying when you told Detective Pretty Boy we sleep in the same bed." He says and then turns his back to her. Iris goes and turns on her side. She scooted her body back until she was touching his and started to push. He started to laugh. He wasn't budging. "What are you doing, Iris?" Barry asks in that calm tone that is starting to piss Iris off.

"I'm trying to push you out of my bed." She says and starts to push him again. Barry is a lot stronger than he looks. Him laughing started to infuriate her. She started to push harder. She was on the verge of kicking him.

"If you continue to push me, I'm going to take off my pants and my underwear. You'll get something that you didn't bargain for if you push me some more." He states. Barry had to say something to break up what he was feeling. He couldn't believe he was in Iris' bed. He loved that she was insisting that he get out of it because he didn't think he was strong enough to relent and leave her bed on his own. It was a spur of the moment thing for him to get into her bed and refuse to leave. Though she was fighting him on him leaving, she wasn't giving it her all like he knew she could. He had known Iris a long time and knew firsthand what a fighter she was. She was the strongest person he knew really. The way she handled her father dying and the way she stood by him when he was getting beat up and bullied made him really admire her. Now she was putting up a weak fight to get him to get out of her bed. He felt like trying something but didn't want to push his luck. He was skating his ass off on thin ice and needed Iris to throw him a life-preserver before he fell all the way in. He was going all the way through the motions with his perverted thoughts about his best friend.

Iris stopped pushing him and moved way over on the other side of her bed. She turns and looks at him and he locked eyes with her. He had the nerve to smirk. "Ew. That is beyond gross, Barry. Keep your damn underwear on in my bed please. Your pants too." Iris says in utter disgust.

"I'll try." Barry jokes and smiles widely at her.

"You'd better or you might wake up missing an appendage." Iris says as she gets out of the bed to turn off the light. Then she changed her mind and walked into her bathroom. She needed to take a breather. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought she looked flushed. She didn't look how she thought she'd look or how she felt. She looked like she was glowing. She tied up her hair and looked at herself again. She left the bathroom and slowly walked back over to the bed and could feel and see Barry looking at her. She hated that she had to sleep in the bed with him. She was afraid to. Not because she's afraid he'll try something, but because she thinks she might want him to try something. She has never been so confused in her entire life. College and now grad school are easier than this. She never should have put them sleeping in the same bed out into the universe. This was killing her. She felt incredibly torn because she was about to get into her bed and sleep in it with her male best friend of 20 years. The boy she knew when he was shorter than her and before he had facial hair. The boy who she built a fort with and played with in his back yard. The boy she played with turtles with. The boy that was just Bear who was now grown and sexy Barry. She hated herself for even thinking that he was sexy. She pulled back the covers and was getting ready to get in her bed when she grabbed her pillow and started hitting Barry with it. "Get out of my bed, Barry." Iris says as she continues to hit him.

He laughs just to rile her up. He grabbed the pillow from her and grabbed her and pinned her down on the bed with it. "If I have to get out of your bed, then you have to get out of my apartment. That's only fair." Barry says.

"I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me. Even if you meet someone, and move her in here, I'm not moving out. I'll throw a thorn all into that. You'll move out before I will." She says and smirks at him and hunches her shoulders. She didn’t even mention Beck-y Coo-per because she knew that Barry would never settle down with her. She wouldn’t allow it to be honest.

Barry looked weird for a moment when she said that. That was something he never even considered. Now he felt some kind of way about her statement. He couldn't meet a woman and move her in there.  _How would that look? What if she met someone? She'd move out for sure._ Barry thought and wondered why he thought that.  _What if she does hit it off with Eddie? And he gets to see her naked all the time? He'd be at our pIace. I don't ever want to witness him touching her or hear them having sex._ Barry felt like he was going over a cliff and had to pull himself back in. He needs to do something else. He touched her head wrap. "This is cute. Makes you look like  _Strawberry Shortcake."_ He says and smiles. He has seen her wrap her hair like that countless times before and was inherently used to it.

"Screw you, Barry." Iris says and pushes him off her. He goes back to his side of the bed.

"What? I said it was cute." He exclaims.

"You're trying to be funny. Ha-ha. I know you're used to dating and only like snowflakes and barbies that don't do this at night. It's fine with me though." She says smartly.

Barry is genuinely hurt. "I do not only like snowflakes and barbies." He says to his defense.

"Whatever, Barry. I can't tell. You do only like snowflakes and barbies." Iris says surely. “That’s all I’ve ever seen you with.”

He looked at her and eyed her dead on. "You don't know what I like." Barry says strongly. He continues to look at her and she really has to wonder what he means by that.  _Is he trying to say he likes me? What the hell does he mean? Should I ask?_ Iris thought and decided that it would be best if she didn't ask. But her stubbornness won't let her let it go.

"I know what I'm talking about, Bear. That's all I see you with. I’m shocked you aren’t dating Patty if I’m being honest. She fits the bill. All of your girlfriends have been blonde haired and blue eyed. Even when you can do much better." She again says in a smart tone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He questions.

Iris decides to ignore his question. She was talking too much. "Nothing. Can we go to bed now? I'm tired." Iris says as she gets out of the bed again to turn the light off for real this time. She walked back over to the bed and climbed in under the covers.

"I guess I don't have a choice." Barry says after an awkward silence.

"No, you don't." She says smartly.

"Good night, Iris." Barry says.

"Good night, Barry." She says and prays that she goes right to sleep so that she won't have to think about and dwell on the fact that Barry is in her bed with her. She prayed that she didn't do something stupid in her sleep while Barry was sleeping with her. She prayed that she didn't reach over and touch him. Prayed that she didn't snuggle her body into his. Prayed that she didn't wind up in his arms.

Barry got up and got under the covers to make himself comfortable. He really couldn't believe he was about to sleep in the bed with Iris. He had slept in the same room with her countless times before and he always slept on the floor. Now he was in the bed with her. He was relieved they were both fully dressed. He might do something wrong as hell and reach over and touch her. God knows he wanted to. He still considered Iris his best friend and always would. He didn't have a choice in the matter. Just like he didn't have a choice in how he was feeling.

Iris shifted around on her side and grabbed a pillow and put it between them. "Stay on your side." She says.

Barry said nothing and he just laid there and thought about Iris' statement. He really wondered what she meant. He needed to know. "Iris?" Barry asks. Even though it's quiet, he knows she isn't sleep.

"Yeah?" She asks in exasperation.

"What did you mean by I could do better?" He asks through their silence and stupid tension.

"What?" Iris feigns ignorance.

He turned his body to his side and looked at her. He could still see her in the dark from the light shining in through the curtains. "I asked what you meant by I could do better." He repeats.

"I just meant that some of the women I see you with aren't really for you. That's all." She says and prays that he doesn't ask her anything else.

"Then who is?" Barry asks quietly.

"What?" She asks almost loudly.

"What woman do you think is for me?" He asks again. He was really trying to call her out.

"I haven’t really thought about it. Can I sleep on it?" She asks.  _Please don't ask me anything else!_ Iris internally screams.

"Yes, you can sleep on it. I can wait until tomorrow." He says and subtly shifted his body in the bed to get closer to her.

"Fine." Is all Iris says. She slowly drifted off to sleep a little bit before Barry did.

Iris felt all kinds of weird when she woke up with her head on Barry's chest and his rib tattoo staring her in the face.  _Why in the hell does he have his shirt off? Why am I laying on his chest? Oh my god. I'm in his damn arms just like I didn't want to be._ Iris thought as she lifted her head and Barry moved beneath her.

"Good morning." Barry says as she's moving away from him.

She looked at him and went way back over on her side. "Good morning." She replies.

"I slept great, didn't you?" He asks as he gets up and walks into her bathroom. She heard the water trickling and then the sink came on. Soon after he came back out just in his boxer briefs.

"Yeah. What happened to your clothes?" Iris asks as she tries not to stare at his chest though she just had her face in it. She tried not to stare at him in his boxers either.

"I got hot." He says absently. "You were laying on me and you told me to keep my pants and underwear on. I couldn't take having the sweat pants on any more."

"You knew I was laying on you?" She asks in an incredulous tone.

"Yeah. What's the big deal?" He asks and smiles.

She refuses to focus on his chest. And more. She wants him to either put his damn shirt and pants back on or get the hell out of her room. "Nothing." Iris states.

"We should sleep together more often. I haven't slept that good in a long time." Barry says and walks around her bed and gets back in. And gets comfortable like it's his bed. "All those sleepovers we had and you made me sleep on the floor are over."

Iris looks over at him with wide eyes. "I never made you sleep on the floor, Barry. You chose to." She clarifies.

"I chose to be a gentleman. But nobody wants to sleep on the floor." Barry says and looks at her.

"Why didn't you choose to be a gentleman last night?" She wonders. "You didn't have to sleep in my bed with me.”

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Did you forget that you wet my bed?" He asks as he chuckles.

"No, I didn't forget. You asked for that." Iris replies flippantly and gets out of the bed and heads for her bathroom. "It probably wasn't the first time that bed was wet anyway." She mumbles under her breath.

Barry appeared right behind her. "What was that?" He asks, shocking her still.

"Nothing." Iris says. "Can I use the bathroom in peace?" She asks in an annoyed voice.

"Sure." He says and goes back to get in her bed. He was doing that just to annoy her. He knew he was getting under her skin.

Iris wanted to slam her bathroom door, but she didn't. She closed it quietly and relieved herself. She washed her hands and face, and brushed her teeth. She came back out expecting Barry to be gone, but he was in her bed. Still. With his hands behind his head. Iris exhaled. "You're still here?" She asks and goes to get back in her bed. She wanted him gone. She purposely took her time in the bathroom thinking he would leave. He was grating on her nerves.

He smiles. "Yup. I'm not ready to get up yet and my bed is still probably wet. That's on you."

Iris sighs and rubs her forehead. She was desperate. She needed Barry away from her. Far away. "What is it going to take to get you to leave my bedroom?" Iris wonders in exasperation. Barry being in her bed in just his boxers is doing something to her. It was plucking her nerves that it was doing something to her.

"Take?" Barry asks in confusion. He seemed to get more comfortable.

"What do I have to do to get you to leave?" She asks seriously as she looks over at him.

The mischievous grin that formed on his face scared Iris.

And turned her on.

* * *

 

Iris continued to stare in fear at the mischievous grin that formed on Barry's face. She realized that she never should have asked him that question. She set herself up big time with that one and she no longer wanted to be a part of his shenanigans. Barry would be liable to say anything, and judging by the recent events of the friendship that was dangerously heading somewhere she wasn't ready for the past couple of days and mainly hours, she was afraid of what he would say.

"You know what? Never mind. I guess I'm stuck with you." Iris says.

"So you don't want me to answer the question?" Barry wonders.

"Nope." Iris answers.

"Why not?" He questions.

"Because I don't want you to." Iris says and hopes he leaves her alone. He was getting on her nerves like he never had before.

"Why not?" He questions again.

"I just told you, Barry." Iris states and smiles at him despite being aggravated. He was annoying her. The problem was he was annoying her in a good and a bad way. His perseverance was killing her. He had no chill at the moment.

"Are you afraid of what I'm going to say?" Barry asks quizzically and blinks rapidly.

"No. Why would I be afraid of what you're going to say? They're just words." Iris states impassively.

"If they're just words, why can't I tell you what I want you to do to get me to leave your room?" He asks slowly and it almost sounds seductive.

"I'm going back to bed." Iris says and dismisses the topic of conversation all together. She turns to her side away from him and faces the wall.

"Me too. You woke us up too early." Barry replies and really makes himself comfortable in Iris' bed.

"You wouldn't have that problem if you didn't sleep in here." Iris responds.

"I wouldn't be in here if you hadn't wet up my bed." He counters smartly.

"I told you you asked for it." Iris replies.

"Do you want to lay on my chest again?" He asks knowing that will get a rise out of her.

Iris turned from her side and just looked at him. She started to do something bold and earth shattering like kissing him or grabbing his crotch. But she didn't want to pull at that thread. She just needed Barry to shut the hell up. "No, I don't want to lay on your chest again. I didn't want to lay on your chest in the first place. I had no idea what I was doing when I was sleep. You know I'm used to hugging my pillows when I sleep. You just happened to be here in my space and in my bed. And you're still here. You won't leave, so I'm just dealing with it. Now, I'm going back to sleep." Iris says and turns back on her side and exhales deeply.

Barry takes in her statement and still doesn't feel the need to leave. He initially came and got in her bed to annoy and shock her. But he had one of the best night's sleep he had ever had sleeping with her. He didn't know if it was because it was her bed and he thought it was comfortable. Then he realized that that was bogus because they had the same bed. Well not the same bed, but the same mattress. Maybe her room just had more of a womanly touch to it and smelled like flowers. Or maybe it was just because he slept with her. He started thinking that maybe somewhere in the back of his mind he slept with her because he wanted something to happen between them. That scared him because he had never thought about himself and Iris in that way. That started when he saw her naked. If he could go back in time, he would have stayed on his couch watching tv. He just had to get up and come into her room and make her drop her towel. Now he was having vivid visions of her naked body all the time. It was causing him to behave in a way that he really wasn’t used to. He didn’t know how to handle the change between him and Iris.

He looked over at her and knew she wasn't sleep, but she was on her way there. Her breathing was even and she just seemed content. He smiled and really settled. He tried not to think about the fact that they had spent the entire night in the same bed together. He started out dressed in a tee shirt and a pair of sweat pants. He got hot and kicked his covers off and then Iris was pretty much using him as a pillow. He knew the way Iris slept so it wasn't a problem. He had to admit to himself that he liked having her lay on him. He knew she wasn't aware of it so he just let her lay on him. Her laying on him caused him to get really hot and he carefully moved Iris back over to her side and slipped out of the bed quietly and slowly to remove his clothes to cool down. He had to scold himself for wanting to go as far as taking off his boxers as well. He didn't want to go that far with Iris. He loved, cared about, and respected her. He wouldn't go that far with her unless he knew he could. All he needed was a sign or confirmation from her to proceed. He'd work out the sexual frustration and tension that he didn't even know he had with her. He thought about that in vain as she wound up laying on him again as he remembers from the night before. They could have done that the night before but he was caught between wanting to just go for it and wanting her to take the lead. He really loved her laying on him. Then his thoughts got the best of him when he realized and knew Iris really wasn't interested in him in that way or she was really fighting it. He was fighting it too, but she was what was stopping him. If he hadn't seen her naked, he wouldn't be in this situation. He totally had himself to blame for that.

Iris laid there in her bed with her best friend lying beside her. He was in her bed with her and it was proving hard for her to get used to. She couldn't believe they had spent the entire night in her bed. She felt like an idiot for wetting up his bed. She felt like she took their practical joking too far. But not really because they did things like that to each other all the time. She just wasn't expecting him to pick her lock and come into her room. She certainly didn't expect him to sleep in her bed. She was aware and conscious of her actions for a while, while he was in her bed. She made sure to put a pillow between them and tried to stay on her side. Waking up with her face in his chest and his arms wrapped around her took her way out of her comfort zone. She would never admit it to Barry but sleeping with him gave her a perfect night's sleep. She slept soundly. She was refreshed and was now forcing herself to go back to bed so that she wouldn't have to deal with reality. Barry was inches away. In his boxers. She didn't understand why it mattered. She has seen him in his boxers more times than she can count. Never seen anything else though. Never wondered what Barry looked like completely naked. She knew he had freckles on his body and actually had abs and a tattoo on his rib. That he had a lean build but was stronger than he looked. That he had huge hands and he was good with them. He offered to let her see him naked and she had to force herself to not call his bluff.

Now he was in her bed and all he had to do was take off his boxers and he’d be naked. She thought about feeling him and cursed. "Damn." She said out loud though she didn't mean to. She then let out a sigh.

"Are you ok?" Barry asks quietly.

"Yes." She says and lets out another sigh. "No. I'm pissed off I can't go back to sleep." Iris lies. She can't tell him what's really wrong.

"Maybe it's time for you to get up." Barry offers.

"I'm not ready to get up." Iris replies. "Argh!" She yells in pure frustration and rubs her forehead.

"I can tell. It's obvious you don't want to get up because I'm in the bed with you." Barry states and waits for her reaction.

Iris responds to his accusation by snatching the covers off herself and purposely throwing them on Barry. She gets out of the bed and walks around it and stands over Barry. She folds her arms and glares at him.  _How did we get here? How? How did Barry go from being my best friend and favorite person in the world to someone I want to kill? How did this happen? How did our friendship change? How did I go from just thinking of him as my friend with a penis to my FRIEND WITH A PENIS?! How did I go from never even considering sleeping with Barry to wanting to right now? What changed?_ Iris thought as she stood there and looked at him and realized what it was that changed their relationship forever.  _It happened when he saw me naked. That's it. That was the catalyst in this train wreck to hell. I just lost my best friend._ Iris thought sadly. She shook her head and unfolded her arms. She rubbed her eyes and Barry didn't like the look on her face.

"Iris, what's wrong?" He asks as he sat up. He was surprised when Iris just bent down to hug him. They both savored the hug and Iris was the first to break it. She released him and Barry reached for her arm. "Iris, what's wrong?" He asks again. She lightly pulled her arm from his grasp and smiled. She left her bedroom without a word and headed for the kitchen. She figured she might as well fix them both breakfast since it was Sunday morning and she could figure out what she would fix for dinner before she retreated to her room and pretended to study while she looked for a new place to live.

Moments later, Barry came out of her room finally wearing his sweat pants and tee shirt. Iris was looking through the fridge. She started pulling out things and turned around. "I'm fixing Belgian waffles, bacon and eggs. How does that sound?" Iris asks as she smiles and washes her hands in the sink.

Barry ignores her. He doesn't care about breakfast. He didn't like what just happened. He walked over and sat on the stool at the island. "Iris? What's wrong?" He asks sincerely. All that playing and annoying her on purpose has gone out the window. He was concerned about his best friend. He hated that he might have went too far with her and really hurt her feelings. He really felt like a dick. He would usually love a hug from her, but he didn't like the way that hug felt. Not even a little bit.

"Nothing. I was just frustrated about not being able to sleep some more. I'm fine. Really." She replies and looks up at him and smiles. She opened her cookbook to the page she needed and got to work.

"Iris, I know that something is wrong. Please talk to me." Barry says.

"Nothing is wrong, Bear. Wanna help?" She asks as she reaches into the drawer.

"I'm sorry, Iris. I went too far." Barry says in an apologetic tone.

Iris looks up at him again and giggles. "Barry, that was nothing. How long have we been best friends and pulling jokes on each other? It's water under the bridge." She says.

"Really?" He asks, voice full of worry.

Iris smiles again. "Yes, really. It takes more than that to get to me, Bear. Are you helping or not?" She asks.

He just gets up and walks around to the sink and washes his hands. "What do you need me to do?" He asks expectantly.

"Crack some eggs into this bowl and beat them for me. Then I need the waffle iron." She says and starts measuring flour.

"Coming right up." He says and smiles at Iris. "How many?" He asks as he goes to the cupboard and gets out the waffle iron for Iris.

"Um, two in a small bowl for the waffles and then four just for us." Iris put the bacon on and started feeling better. Maybe she just needed to get out of that room with Barry. Maybe they were too closed in and there were too many pheromones running around the room. She took out the rest of what she needed for their breakfast and kept moving. She and Barry brushed up against each other and it did feel different from other times that happened but Iris ignored it. She had to go back to how they were before. Before the fiasco in her room when he saw her naked. Everything was fine before that. They had to put it behind them. She finished whipping up the waffle batter, plugged up the waffle iron, and checked on the bacon.

"That's an easy thing to do." He says and smiles at her. He playfully bumped her when he was cracking the eggs and loved hearing Iris laugh. He subtly watched her work her magic in the kitchen. He noticed that the air changed and it was back to the way it was.

Iris sprayed the waffle iron and poured the batter on and Barry just watched her. She felt his eyes on her and she tried to ignore it. His eyes felt different on her somehow. She ignored the difference and smiled at him. She took the spoon and tossed some waffle batter at him. "Pow!" She says when it landed on his cheek.

"You are so going to get it if it went in my hair." Barry says as she laughs and wipes his cheek.

"It's not in your hair." Iris says and checks the waffles.

"You're lucky you're cooking and I really want those waffles." Barry says as he checks the bacon without being asked to.

Iris took notice of that because he usually isn't this helpful. He'll cook on his own occasionally and it's usually just pasta, but he lets her handle the cooking. He isn't a slob at all and picks up behind himself, but Iris likes to clean herself to get it her kind of clean. The same with laundry. She does it because there's no way she's trusting her clothes to Barry. He might bleach her dark clothes. So she just washes both of their clothes. She doesn't pick up behind his company though. Barry reinforces them not leaving a mess or anything there. Iris was adamant about not finding another woman's underwear anywhere near their apartment. The same went for her friends. Since she just lived there, she didn't let her company act like they lived there as well. She really didn't like having guys over that much and she hasn't met a guy that really impressed or gave her feelings in a long time. Barry's coworker Cisco was cute, but she couldn't see herself with him. He looked way too young for her though she knew he was an adult.  Eddie was cute too, but she knew he wanted to rub something in Barry's face and she didn't want a thing to do with that. She agreed to go out with him but she didn’t want to cause any tension between her and Barry when she did.

"You're not going to do a thing, Bear." Iris says and makes a face at him.

"Keep talking smack, Iris. Just keep talking smack." Barry says and continues to fry the bacon.

"Yada, yada, yada." Iris says as she pours more batter into the waffle iron. She tossed more batter at him. This time it did go in his hair. "Gotcha!" Iris exclaims as she makes muscles.

"It went in my hair this time. How about I take off that head wrap and put some batter in your hair?" Barry jokes. He's glad she's back to her old self. That hug scared him.

"You know better than to mess with a Black woman's hair." Iris says surely and puts waffles on the plates and goes to get another frying pan to make the eggs. She purposely bumped Barry when she stopped at the stove.

"Yeah, I do. Thanks to you. The good thing is you're the only Black woman I want to bother." He says and tugs on her head wrap.

"Stop it." She says and scrambles their eggs. "it's time for that bacon to come out."

"Yes, Mom." Barry says in a child-like voice. He goes to take the bacon out. He piles some on his plate and gives her two slices.

Iris looks at him and shakes her head and laughs. "You are something else, Bear. Something else I tell you."

"I try." He says and flashes her a smile.

Iris finishes with the eggs and Barry goes into the fridge to get them orange juice. He pours them both glasses while Iris finishes making their plates and gets the syrup. She and Barry sit down at the island and start to eat their breakfast.

"Thanks for helping." Iris says and smiles at her best friend.

"No problem. I should help more often. I see you trying to prolong our eating because you know that it's on once we finish, right?" Barry asks and eats a strip of bacon.

"Are you planning on washing your hair any time soon?" Iris asks.

"Yeah. I have to. Thanks to you." He says in a smart tone.

"Do you want me to wash it for you?" Iris asks and takes a sip of her orange juice.

For some strange reason, Barry got sexually stimulated. Not full on aroused, but he was thinking about it. If Iris was doing something other than sitting next to him and just eating, like cleaning on working out, he would be extremely turned on. He knew how deep in trouble he was. He was searching and scrambling his brain for a solution.  _Do I just make a move? Do I tell her how I feel? Do I wait for her to make a move? Do I subtly let her know I'd be willing to sleep with her? Do I risk ruining our friendship for a roll in one of our beds? Do I make sure she sees me naked? What in the hell do I do? This is killing me._ "Do you think I'm crazy?" Barry asks, though the thought of her washing his hair seemed erotic to him.

"Of course I do. That doesn't answer my question. Do you want me to wash your hair for you?" She asks again and smiles.

"As much as I'd enjoy having my hair washed by you, I'm going to have to decline. I know you think I'm crazy, but I'm not stupid." Barry answers and takes a sip of his own orange juice.

Iris feigns hurt and looks upset. "I'm appalled, Bear. Do you really think I'd do something to your hair?" She asks.

"That's exactly what I think." Barry replies and then changes the subject. "What's the theme or whatever for this party that we're having Saturday night for your new boyfriend?" He asks.

"I don't know yet. And Eddie is not my boyfriend. Are you inviting Beck-y Coo-per?" Iris asks casually.

"Of course I am.”

Iris slightly frowns and then snorts. "That figures." She says and takes a bite of her waffle.

"What figures?" He asks as he eyes her dead on.

"It figures that you would bring her to this party when you know we don’t like each other. I'm not at all surprised." She answers smartly once she finished chewing.

"You act like she’s never been over here before. I know you don’t like her, but the Becky hate seems to have increased. Am I wrong?" Barry asks.

“Yes, you’re wrong.”

“Really?”

“You’re wrong because I don’t dislike her more than I already did.”

“What is so wrong with Becky?" He asks.

Iris scoffs again. "You want to know what's wrong with her? She’s a clingy and half brain dead nightmare. I know you liked that she gives you so much attention, but you never should have dated her. She makes it seem like you should be happy and thankful that she decided to date you, like she’s really this prize. I don’t like how she seems to take advantage of you and your kindness. You need a sensible woman with a good head on her shoulders to complement you. You know a woman who can appreciate your intelligence, and can actually go and do the things you like to do just because you like it and appreciate you for the adorable nerd that you are. A woman that realizes just how amazing you are doesn’t have a problem in telling and showing you. One with a great personality and a future that your mother will actually like. Someone that actually cares about you as a person and doesn’t treat you like a doormat." Iris blurts out and didn't mean to say all that. It's been on her mind for a while now and she couldn't pass up the opportunity. He did ask.

Barry looked at her in shock and took a drink of his orange juice. He smirked and put his glass down. He looked at her again. "Tell me how you really feel, Iris." Barry says and smirks.

"I just did. Sorry. You did ask." She counters.

"Have you ever stopped to think that I got involved with her because she did show me attention even though I’m a huge dork? That it really isn’t easy for me to find someone like the woman you described? That even though Becky isn’t perfect, or even perfect for me, but she wanted to date the nerd and gave me a little bit of happiness? Have you ever thought about that?" He asks.

"No, I didn't." She admits truthfully.

“Do you not want me to be happy?”

“Of course I want you to be happy. All I’ve wanted is for you to meet someone amazing.”

“And I did.” Barry says, even though it was hard for him to say that.

Iris rolled her eyes. “Beck-y Coo-per is NOT amazing.”

Barry couldn’t argue because she was right. "So you've given this perfect woman for me some thought then, right?" He wonders as he looks at her.

"Not really. It just came to me off the top of my head. There are lots of women out here like the one I just described." Iris says and smiles a little.

"It seems like you just described yourself, Iris." Barry says.

Iris looked at him with wide eyes. "I did not just describe myself." She states vehemently and to her defense. She realizes that she did describe herself thought she didn't mean to. He was her best friend and she felt he could do better that what she has seen him with.

"You didn't?" He asks, challenging her.

"No, I didn't. Why would I describe myself as the perfect woman for you?" Iris asks as she grabs her plate and glass and walks over to the sink.

Barry got up and followed her with his own plate and glass. He put his in the sink as well. When she turned around he was right in front of her. "You tell me." He says as he deadpans her.

"There's nothing to tell you." Iris says as she looks at him. She wishes he wasn't eyeing her dead on the way that he was.

"There has to be a reason that you described the perfect woman for me and it's you." He says again. He's tired of dancing around with her.

"What do you want from me, Barry?!" Iris practically yells.

He kept looking at her and realized that he couldn’t say it. She had knocked away the notion of them two yet again. He’d be a fool to say something. “I…”

"What?!" Iris persists.

"I just want..." He says but he can't get it out. He can't force himself to say it.

Iris just walks around him and goes to her room. Barry balled up his fist and banged the refrigerator.

* * *

 

Iris was practically shaking by the time she got back to her room. She silently demanded that Barry not follow her. She hated that Barry had gotten under her skin once again. He had riled her up almost to the point of no return. They were fine. She never should have said all that. And then he's trying to call her out by saying that she's describing herself for him. She never saw herself for Barry. True she thought he could do better than the women he dated, but she wasn't saying that better was her. It was beginning to be too much. Way too much.

She decided to straighten up her already clean room. She made up her bed and retrieved her forgotten and neglected IPad from the floor and sat it on her dresser. She got out her textbooks and decided to do some studying. Once she did that for a few hours and thankfully without any interruptions from Barry. She felt like a prisoner in her room. It seemed unfair.

She decided to take a nap. She was more mentally tired than physically. She laid down and drifted off into a peaceful slumber. She woke up and decided to take herself a long and soothing shower. She was so glad that she got her shower head fixed so fast. The thought of her having to go into Barry's bedroom and bathroom day in and day out unnerved her. Iris decided to wash and deep condition her hair since it was Sunday. She stood under the shower head and got lost in there. If she could sleep in the shower she would. She finally used up all the hot water and got out of her shower. She combed her hair through and walked out into her bedroom with just her towel on and was shocked as hell when Barry was sitting on her bed.

"What are you doing in here, Barry?" Iris asks in annoyance.

"I came to apologize. I was an ass. I'm sorry." He says sincerely.

"Yeah, you were. Apology accepted though. I was an ass too." Iris say and turns around to face her dresser. She was no longer mad at him but she hoped he got the message and left. Barry appeared behind her. He was standing dangerously close to her. Too close. She turned around to face him and he was right in her face. He was so close to her that her breasts pressed against his chest. "Are you going to leave so that I can get dressed?" Iris asks nervously.

"No." Barry says.

"No? Why not?" She again asks nervously.

"I want to see you naked again." Barry says seriously and stares deep into her eyes.

"You want to see me naked again? Why?" Iris ask and swallows.

"Do you even have to ask?" Barry wonders.

"Yes I do, Barry. Why do you want to see me naked? I'm your best friend." Iris says to try to convince him that he's way off the mark and only thinks he wants to see her naked by reminding him of their friendship.

Barry doesn't answer her and reaches for her towel. He slowly pulled her towel apart and let it fall to the floor. "I've wanted to do this since I saw you naked the other night. That's what's wrong with me, Iris." Barry says.

Iris swallowed again once she realized how naked she was standing in front of Barry. She made no attempt to pick her towel up to cover herself. "I..." Iris begins.

"What? Say it Iris." He says as he continues to stare into her eyes.

"I..." Iris tries to say again but can't get it out. She is seriously at a loss for words. "I don't want to ruin our friendship." Iris finally says.

He just gives her a look and leans forward to kiss her. Then he just takes her hand and leads her to her bed. They almost crash on to it, with their lips still joined. Barry gently climbed on top of her and kissed her hungrily. He went for her neck and Iris let out a moan. He went back to kissing her on the lips and Iris tried not to remind herself that she was kissing Barry. It felt good to be kissing Barry.

He pulled back and looked at her. He took his hand and cupped and rubbed her breast. He heard her let out another moan and he continued to rub her breast and then kissed her on the mouth again. He rolled them over and Iris opened her eyes.

She looked around and realized she was dreaming. She was still fully dressed and in her room alone. The dream seemed so vivid to her. She was in a world of trouble.

"Damn." She said out loud. She got up out of her bed and went into her bathroom to shower and wash and deep condition her hair for real. She took her world-famous shower that she could win an award for how long she took. She did everything almost exactly the same as her dream. She finally used up all the hot water and got out of her shower. She combed her hair through and walked out into her bedroom with just her towel on and was shocked as hell when Barry was sitting on her bed.

"What are you doing in here, Barry?" Iris asks in annoyance.

"I came to apologize. I was an ass. I'm sorry." He says sincerely. Iris looked at him in shock because what they both said was painfully familiar. It sounded just like what they said in her dream. She walked over to him and touched him to make sure he was real. She then pinched herself to see if she was dreaming. "Are you ok?" He asks in concern.

She walked and looked around in confusion. "Yeah, I'm ok. Apology accepted. I want to apologize too. Friends again?" She asks.

He gets up and walks over to her and gives her a hug. "Friends forever." Barry says and smiles after he released her.

"Are you going to leave so that I can get dressed?" Iris asks in a joking tone.

"No." Barry says.

"No? Why not?" She asks in surprise.

"I…want…I want to see you naked again." He says nervously and looks down at her.

 _Did my dream just become reality?_ Iris thought to herself as she looked at the smoldering look plastered on her best friend's face.

_Are we really about to do this?_

"What?" Iris asks.

"I said I want to see you naked again. I can’t get it out of my mind, Iris. I can barely look at you without picturing it and it’s killing me. I know I shouldn’t have played around with you, but what’s done is done. I know we’re best friends, but I’m not having just best friend thoughts about you anymore. “

Iris just stood and stared at Barry for a moment. She stared at the expression he had on his face. She really can't believe he came back in her room and said that to her. The friend she just had a dream about. The friend that gets all the way under her skin like no other person in the world can. She and Barry seemed to be at a crossroads. Their relationship completely changed ever since he saw her naked. He put his head in her lap the night before. They slept in the same bed and he refused to leave her room. He accused her of thinking the perfect woman for him is herself. She dreamt about being naked with him and kissing him. Now he was back in her room asking her if he could see her naked again.

Again, his perseverance was getting on her nerves. HE was getting on her damn nerves. Iris has never been this annoyed with him. In the history of their friendship, he has never gotten under her skin this much. She needed Barry out her face and her room. He had more than gotten to her. He had taken her out of her comfort zone. He had flummoxed and perplexed her. She didn't know how much longer she would be able to keep up this charade they had going on.

"Could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you properly." Iris says as she continues to stare at him.

"Sure thing. I said I want to see you naked again." He repeats and smiles again. His smile seemed to tremble and she could tell that he was nervous and saying that to her took a lot out of him.

Iris starts to weigh her options. Barry is clearly playing hard ball. He's like mosquitos in the summer time. Just annoying and aggravating her. She had no idea that he had this in him. But he wants to see her naked again. He already has seen her naked so she wondered what the big deal was. "What happens after you get what you want?" Iris says.

“Then we take it from there." Barry says.

“Take it where?”

“I don’t know.”

"That's not really telling me anything, Barry." Iris says and then sighs.

"Then you get the exact same thing I get. How's that?" Barry asks.

"What makes you think I want what you want?" Iris wonders.

Barry smiled. "You do." He replies surely.

"Are you sure about that?" Iris inquires.

"I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty confident that I'm right."

Iris sighs again. "How did we get here, Barry?" She feels like that's a legitimate question. She knows how they got there, she just needs him to confirm it.

Barry feigns confusion. "How did we get where, Iris?" He fires back.

"How did we get to the point where you're in my room asking to see me naked? How did our friendship change to this?" Iris asks with a wry expression on her face.

Barry's facial expression changed a little when he started to put his words together. "Alright. The truth? I think it changed when you came out of your room and went into mine just wearing a towel. Then you dropped said towel, and I’ve been agonizing over it ever since." He admits. Their relationship had changed at that point. He still and always would consider her his best friend. That hasn't changed. But he was feeling like he wanted more.

"That's the conclusion I came up with as well. You putting your head in my lap and sleeping in here didn't make the situation better either." Iris admits in all honesty.

"Are you upset about me doing that?" He asks in concern.

"No, I'm not upset. Not at all. I'm just confused." She confesses and just looks at him.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm confused too. I have been since that night." He confesses as well. "Can I ask you a question though?"

"Of course." Iris replies.

"Are you upset that I saw you naked?" He asks and then looks at her soft of weirdly.

"No. I'm not ashamed of my body. I figured one of us seeing the other one naked was bound to happen since we live together." Iris answers.

Barry smiles and that expression reappears on his face. "Great. Back to the situation at hand." He says in excitement.

"Fine." Iris says. She's liable to do anything to have this mess stop. She's not sure she wants what he's offering though. If she sees Barry naked, she might not be able to handle it. She has no idea what she wants. Better for her to take the safe road.

"So, what's it going to be?" Barry asks and smiles.

"Can I just say that I really don't appreciate you blackmailing me." Iris says.

Barry looks hurt. "I'm not blackmailing you. I'm just giving you the push you need." He states matter of factly.

"The push I need?" Iris asks.

"Yes. And in turn that gives me the push I need." Barry says and furrows his brow.

 _Hey. What do I have to lose? I've already lost my best friend. He pretty much just admitted that. Our relationship will never be the same after this. To hell with it._ "You know what? You're right." Iris says as she walks up to him. She stopped right in front of him and opened her towel. She went even further and let it drop to the floor. She watched as the look of satisfaction came over Barry's face. She saw his eyes dance and scan her body. She watched him focus on her breasts and then his eyes traveled lower and stared at her vagina. He actually had the audacity to lick his lips. She wondered what that meant. That set off a spark in her. Barry then looked up and looked her in her eyes. He awkwardly shifted his body on the bed some. He then stuck his hand out to touch her but Iris backed up. She gave him a naughty smile. "You didn't say anything about touching." Iris reminds him. Even though she was completely naked and exposed in front of him, she didn't feel embarrassed, out of place, or awkward. She honestly felt like she had the upper hand in the situation. She had Barry right where she wanted him and he didn't even know it. She turned and walked over to her dresser and stood there for a moment. She could still feel his eyes on her. She borrowed Barry's smirk and then smiled to herself.

She turned around and looked at her best friend and the look that was still plastered on his face. He seemed to be in a daze or something. Iris didn't understand why since he had already seen her naked. She wondered what his problem was. She realized that she took away his ability to touch her, but he should have expected that. She did her part and it made her feel the total opposite of how she thought it would make her feel. She was in no hurry to put any clothes on. If he wanted to see her naked, then he was going to.

She just stood facing him. She felt sexy being naked in front of him. Sure he was her best friend, but he was also a sexy ass man. "How long are you planning on sitting there?  You got what you wanted. I'm still naked." Iris says.

"That's the problem." Barry says and stares into her eyes. Her body looked even better than the first time. He wanted to take her and end their only best friends relationship right then and there. He loved that she was still naked in front of him and he could look all he wanted. He had one problem. He wanted her to open her legs in front of him so he could really see. He wanted to taste her and get inside of her. This moment was perfect to him. It was now do or die. He stood up and took his tee shirt off. He looked at her and she didn't look uneasy. "Are you ready?" He asks. He was dying for her to say yes.

Iris started to get nervous. She was about to be naked in her room with Barry being naked as well. She wondered if she was ready for that. The good thing was she wouldn’t be ruining their friendship on her own.

"Yes. A deal's a deal." Iris says and smiles. That turned him on. It really did. "So what is this? The adult version of if you show me yours, I'll show you mine?" Iris asks.

"Yes. We never did that when we were younger, so we're just making up for lost time." He answers and smiles at her. Barry quickly scanned her body again and then looked her dead in her eyes. "Come here." He says in a seductive tone.

Iris smiled and shook her head no.

"Come here." He insists.

Iris got cojones from somewhere because she walked over to him. She got really bold and laid down on her stomach on her bed. She propped herself up on her elbows and smiled. "Ready." She says and looks like she was really about to enjoy a show.

Barry smiled again and looked down at her. He was nervous as hell, but had to push that away. They were at that point and he couldn’t stop. The fact that she was willing made it hard for him. He pulled down his sweat pants slowly, still leaving his boxer briefs on. He then slowly pulled those down revealing a semi erect penis. It stopped mid-thigh and was a really nice size. That caused something to stir in her because she realized how nice it was and he wasn't even fully erect. He was getting there though. Iris' eyes zeroed in on his package and she continued to smile. She realized just how wrong she was about Barry and what he had to offer. It was totally unexpected and now she knew why Becky clung to him so much. She felt a tingle in her vagina and that made her very aware that she was laying in her bed completely naked with Barry standing above her almost as naked as she was if he just stepped out of his pants.

She finally looked Barry in his face and looked into his eyes. "Impressive. I guess I was wrong when I said that I wouldn't be looking at much if I saw you naked the other night." Iris admits.

"Yeah, you were. I wanted to show you how wrong you were then." He states and then looks at her with that smirk she loves and realized he sometimes can't help when it appears on his face. He stepped closer to the bed.

“Get in.” Iris says as she moved closer to the head of her bed. She had no idea what came over here, but this was happening.

“What?”

“I said get in the bed. Hurry before I change my mind.”

Barry wasted no time doing that. He stepped out of his clothes and got in the bed with her.

His hand shook when he went to touch her. Being naked and in the bed with Iris would really take some getting used to. He leaned forward and kissed her. He grabbed her face and deepened the kiss.

They became a mess of awkward touches and kisses. They were both caught between being in the moment, and realizing they were kissing their best friend.

Iris was impressed by the fact that Barry was a good kisser. A really good one. She laid on the bed and he kissed her more. He slid his hand down her body and touched what he could. He then tweaked her nipples and that caused something to stir in her.

She was very aware of his hands on her and so was he. Iris thought that they needed to really get this over with before either one of them came to their senses.

Barry slipped his long fingers between her legs and stroked her lips while still kissing her. Two fingers disappeared while his thumb rubbed her clit.

Iris was taken aback by Barry having his fingers inside of her and the fact that it felt so good. It was Barry. She never thought she’d be in that situation with Barry. It felt weird and right at the same time.

She moaned from his touch. She broke the kiss and rolled over a bit. Barry was just looking at her trying to follow her lead. He and Iris had gone pretty far and wondered where they would go from there. They went from seeing each other naked to him having his fingers inside her. It felt foreign to him.

She pulled open her nightstand drawer and grabbed a condom. She handed it to Barry. “Put this on.” She said simply. It was do or die.

Barry’s eyes widened in excitement and fear. “Are you-“

“No talking, just put it on.” Iris says. She felt like if they talked about it, something could go wrong. She could stop him or he could back out. She didn’t want that. She wanted to be with Barry right then and there.

Barry was shocked at her handing him a condom. He was thrilled and scared. This is Iris he’s thinking about. His best friend. They were both as naked as the day they were both born and he had his fingers inside her. She was handing him a condom that was only going to be used for one thing.

He followed her lead and did as she said. He removed his fingers and took the condom. He stroked himself, opened it and put it on. He stroked himself again and lined up at her opening. He looked deep into her eyes as she slid all the way in. He felt like he was in Heaven.

They had just crossed the just best friends line and there was no turning back. He started to move against her. It was fast, slow, hard, and a bit awkward. It didn’t make any sense that he was screwing Iris. It felt so so right, but it was still a little awkward.

Until they got lost in the moment and forgot about being best friends since forever and knowing each other before puberty and sex was even in either of their vocabularies. The sex slowly became mindblowing.

Iris closed her eyes and got lost. She knew it was Barry, but she didn’t have to focus on that. Just how good his dick felt inside of her. Who knew that her awkward, dorky, and gangly best friend had good dick? A nice sized good dick at that.

Barry really knew how to fuck and that was very shocking to her. She never would have thought that Bartholomew Henry Allen was a good lay. "Barry, Barry, Barry...Barry..." Iris moaned because the sex was amazing. She wraps her legs around his waist as he enters in and out of her. He slowly starts to grind into her as she wraps her arms around him and grabs the back of his neck. He kissed her deeply as he continues to pound in to her. "Barry!" Iris screams out as it feels like he hit her g spot. She felt her clitoris pulsate. He took his hand and placed it under her ass and pulled her even closer to him.

She felt so good and he never wanted to stop. Never, ever thought he’d fuck his best friends’ brains out, but it was happening. He pushed the awkward feelings aside and made sure that they both had a good time.

Her pussy felt like it was popping. She bit her lip as a powerful orgasm overtakes her. She starts to whimper and yells out, "Barry, I can't..." He grinds into her until his knees go stiff and he ejaculates into the condom.

He moved from on top of her and collapsed on the side of the bed. They were both breathing heavy and spend. Iris had to cover her eyes with her arm because she really didn’t know if she could handle looking at Barry.

Sure they just had sex and got as close as two people possibly could, but it was still her best friend Barry. She just fucked her best friend and didn’t know how to handle it. Where would they go from there? Would they chalk it up to the heat of the moment and never do it again? Would they become friends with benefits? Do they pretend it never happened? Do they become a couple? Do they end their lifelong friendship over sex they never thought they’d have?

She was confused and needed answers. Answers to questions she didn’t want to ask. Questions she didn’t want to answer.

Iris opened her mouth to speak when there was a knock at their front door. They looked at each other in confusion. "Are you expecting someone?" She asks.

"No. You?"

"No." Iris answers and the knocking increased. "I think you'd better get that." She says and watches the look of disappointment cover Barry's face.

“Why do I have to get it?”

“Because this is your place.”

“It’s yours too, Iris. You’re not just spending the night.”

“Still. I think you should get it. I need a moment.”

Barry scoffed and pulled his pants and boxers on and threw his tee shirt on and left Iris' room. He was seriously pissed off at whomever came over to interrupt them. He opened the door and saw Becky. He had to wonder if that was a sign. He was not at all happy to see her. She stepped right into the apartment and threw her arms around Barry.

She smiled at him and kissed him on the lips. "Hey baby. Surprised to see me?" She asks once she pulled back.

Barry had to force his face to not show what he was feeling. "Hey Becky. Yeah, I am surprised to see you." He answers and he really is. He started to get awkward and extremely nervous. He wondered if she’d be able to tell that he just had sex with Iris. This conversation was not going to go well. Not at all.

"I know I should have called first, but I was in the area and I started to miss you." She pressed herself closer to him and felt his erection press against her and got excited. "From the feel of things, you missed me too." She has no idea that his erection has nothing to do with her.

Barry wanted to push her out the door and shut it but he knew he couldn't and shouldn't do that. He liked Becky. But he wanted her to get lost so that he could go back in Iris' room and finish what he started. That wasn’t enough for him. He needed more of Iris and what they just did. He pulled her back while she was still hugging him and closed the door. "Yeah." Is all Barry says. His erection started to go away and he pulled away from her gradually. He has no intention of going to his bedroom with her so he leads them over to the couch and turns the tv on. He noticed that wasn't what she was expecting from the look on her face. He didn't care. He wasn't in the mood to see her.

They settled on the couch and he started looking through the guide to find something suitable to watch. "So how have you been?" She asks.

"Alright, I guess. Except for me not feeling too well the past couple of days." Barry says and that's partly true because he hasn't been right since that night in Iris' room.

"You've been sick? You poor thing." She says.

"Not really sick, just not great. I'm still recovering. Thanks." He says and settles on  _Hidalgo._  He didn't want to put anything sexy or romantic on. Nothing she would get comfortable watching.

Iris walks out of her bedroom fully dressed in leggings and a tee shirt. "Hey Becky." She says through gritted teeth. She figured the company was for Barry since he didn't come back to get her. She didn't know how to feel about Barry having this nightmare chick as his company, but she pushed it aside. She wasn’t going to dwell on what just happened. It was a mistake and they didn’t need to do it again. She saw Barry just sitting on the couch and she could tell that he was a little upset by his body language. She knew all of his actions and emotions by now.

She then wondered if he was going to tell Becky.

She figured that he should since he just slept with her. The situation was an awkward disaster. She had immediate regrets about what just transpired.

"Hi Iris. How are you?" Becky asks. She doesn’t like Iris and knows she doesn’t like her. They were being cordial just for Barry’s sake. Becky hates that she's Barry's best friend and roommate.

"I'm great. How are you?" Iris asks in her same bated tone. She goes over to open the freezer and stares inside. She saw some lobster ravioli that she could make that wouldn't take a lot of effort. She'd make a salad and garlic bread to go with it. She turned back around and saw Becky scooting closer to Barry on the couch.

"I'm great now." She says and giggles. She took Barry's arm and put it around herself. Then she whispered something in his ear.

Iris just looked and tried not to feel anything. She'd put what just happened out of her mind. But that was easier said than done. Seeing Becky all over Barry felt like she just got sucker punched. It hurt more than she realized it could.

She looked for the large pot she needed for the ravioli and managed to drop a few pots and pans. She really didn't mean to do it, but it made a lot of noise. "Sorry." Iris says and picks the pots up. Once she stands back up, she sees Becky stand and pull on Barry's arm. He seemed reluctant to get up. She tugged some more until he was in a standing position. She tugged him towards his bedroom and he just slowly followed her. Barry locked eyes with Iris when he was heading to his bedroom. Iris smiled despite what she was feeling. She was desperately trying not to cry. "Are you staying for dinner, Becky?" Iris asks cordially.

"Sure, if you want me to. Thanks." She says and smiles and leads Barry to his room. Iris went back to cooking and trying to block out her emotions and feelings.

* * *

 

Once they were in Barry's bedroom, Becky noticed that Barry's bed wasn't made and she wondered why. She went to sit down on it any way. "Don't sit there. It's wet." Barry says as a warning as he leans against his dresser and folds his arms.

"It's wet? Why? What happened?" Becky inquires. She moves her hand around to find a dry spot at the edge and sits down.

"I spilled something on it and had to clean it." Barry lies. He really didn't want to be in his bed with her at that moment.

Becky gets a weird look on her face. "Really? Because I was assuming that you were just with someone and hadn't changed your sheets yet." She says and then eyes him carefully.

Barry was dumbfounded and became nervous again. “No, I wasn’t with anyone.” He lies, knowing that he shouldn’t. He should just tell her the truth. He owed her that. He couldn’t find the words. While she wasn’t his girlfriend, he thinks he should at least be honest with her about his feelings changing drastically. There was no way in hell things could return to normal. He needed to find the words.

"Well, we don't really need the bed." She says in a sultry tone.

Barry almost winced. He did not want to be with Becky. Not at all. He knew it would be rude and disgusting to hook up with her when he just hooked up with Iris. Plus, Iris was in the kitchen cooking them dinner. "Not tonight." Is all Barry says.

Becky frowns. "Not tonight? What's wrong?" She questions. She has never known Barry to not be in the mood.

"I told you I didn't really feel that well." Barry answers.

Becky get a grin on her face. "How about I make you feel better?" She suggests and gives him that look. She walked towards him and stops in front of him. She leaned forward and he put his arms around her to not make her feel bad. She reached down to stroke him and was disappointed that he wasn't erect like he just was. "What's wrong, Barry?" She wonders almost with worry.

Barry almost cringed this time. "I'm really not in the mood to be honest. Can we just hang out?" He asks, though he isn't really asking.

"Ok. Rain check?" She asks and smiles.

"Yeah." Barry says though he really doesn't mean it.

She leans forward to kiss him. He felt obligated to kiss her back. His encounter with Iris was still on his mind. Visions of her naked body danced through his mind. He remembered exactly how it felt being inside her. He pictured her face while they were having sex. He couldn't stop thinking about the last few days. He couldn't stop thinking about her. "So what are we going to do?" She asks as she stares into his eyes.

"I'm not really sure." Barry says almost without emotion.

"I have the perfect thing." She says and pecks him on the lips. She smiled at him before she squatted before him. She started to stroke him through his pants. She was tugging on the waist to pull them down.

"Becky. Stop." Barry says. He's trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. He really isn't in the mood. How could he be? He wasn’t a sleaze that would sleep with a woman and then sleep with another one moments later. This was a mess.

"What?" She asks.

"I said stop. I don't want to do this. I'm really not in the mood." He says. He really doesn't want to hurt her feelings because he did like her. He wanted her gone though.

"You really want me to stop? You never told me stop before." She says in a hurt voice.

"I'm sorry. I'm saying it now though. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but I really don't want to fool around." Barry says truthfully. He knows he should tell her about being with Iris, but felt it would be disrespecting Iris. He had to let Becky down gently without telling her that part.

She stood up and looked him in his eyes. "You were with someone else, weren't you?" Becky says. "I see your hair is wet, that means you probably showered recently. Then your bed is wet. I know we're not exclusive, but what's going on?" She asks.

"Nothing is going on. Can't I not be in the mood?" Barry asks in his defense.

"I've never known you not to be in the mood. Then you turn down a blow job? What am I supposed to think?" Becky asks.

"You're supposed to think that it's ok that I'm not in the mood and not take it personal." Barry says and feels himself getting angry.

"Can you just admit that you did sleep with someone else recently? Should I go and ask Iris was somebody here?" She asks.

He did get angry then. "Leave Iris out of this. You don't go and ask her anything." He says harshly

"Why not? Is she the one you slept with? I'm not blind Barry." Becky says in a hurt voice.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Barry questions harshly again.

"Anyone with eyes can see that there's something going on between you two. She's more than your best friend and roommate. You have live in access to her anytime you want and you know it." Becky fires her accusations.

"I think you need to leave." Barry says once he got his anger under control.

She stared him in his eyes. "Yeah." Is all she says. She leaves Barry's bedroom and walks out into the living room and kitchen area. She saw that Iris was nowhere in sight and just left.

Barry came out moments later and looked around, expecting to see Iris still cooking. He didn’t see her and went to her room. He didn’t see her there either. He looked in her bathroom and that was empty. It took him a moment to realize that she was gone. He sat down on her bed and put his face in his hands.

The fact that she left was heartbreaking and devastating to him.

* * *

Iris tried to put sleeping with Barry out of her mind, but found that impossible to do. Seeing him with Becky hurt her in a way she had never been hurt before. She wondered what would happen with them. If he would tell her or pretend like nothing happened and keep seeing her.

She felt nothing but dread when he took her into his bedroom. She tried to finish cooking but she couldn’t wrap her mind around doing that. Nothing seemed right to her. One roll in the sack with her best friend, and her life was in shambles. Barry was in his room doing God knows what with his annoying ass almost girlfriend and he just slept with her.

She felt like the walls were closing in on her. She turned off the stove and darted to her room. She grabbed her rolling suitcase from her closet and threw it on her bed. She just yanked out clothes without really paying attention to them. She quickly ran to her bathroom and got what she needed. Grabbed her books, her phone, and her suitcase and headed for the door. She was so in a hurry she forgot to put shoes on. She quickly stepped into her boots and put on her short black trench coat. She quickly walked to the front door and left before she had a chance to get caught by Barry. She was out of there in record breaking time. She hurried to the elevator and made her way to her car. She just threw her things in the passenger seat and got in. She barely had her seat belt on when she pulled off.

She needed space and time to think. The way she just left was horrible, but she felt like she had to do it. She got further away from their building when she pulled over. She reached over in her passenger seat for her phone and called the only person she could run to.

Linda picked up on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Hey, Linda. It’s me. Don’t ask me any questions, but I need to come stay with you. I don’t know how long.”

Linda had a million questions to ask, but decided to respect her wishes. “Sure. My door will always be open to you.”

“Thanks. I’ll be there soon.” Iris says and ends her call. She pulled back into traffic and made the drive to Linda’s house. She had to sit behind the wheel and take a breather before getting out. She walked into her building and headed for the elevator. She almost didn’t have the strength to lift her arm and use the knocker, but she did it.

Linda opened the door with friendly concern etched on her face. “Do you need a hug?”

Iris just shook her head and let Linda hug her. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“You would do the same for me.” Is all Linda says once they break the hug and Iris steps in.

She practically collapsed on the sofa. “You know I would, but a thank you is still in order.”

They sat in silence for a while. Linda was dying to know what happened, but refrained from asking. If Iris wanted to talk, then she’d be there for her when and if she did. “So, I decided on chicken fajitas for dinner. Is that ok with you?”

“That sounds perfect. I really need to use your shower right now though.”

“You know where it is.”

Iris just got up without a word and went into Linda’s bathroom. She undressed and got in under the warm water. She didn’t feel like she needed to wash away being with Barry, but it was the only place she could cry without an audience. She wept for the dismantling of her friendship with Barry. Their friendship would never be the same after this. She felt like it was her fault because she’s the one that suggested the sex. They were just looking at each other naked and she had to take them to the point of no return. Now she lost the most important person in the world to her, after her mother of course. She didn’t want to lose Barry. She loved him. Loved everything about that huge dork. She was fine before she slept with him.

Linda watched Iris as she walked away. She could tell she was hurt by the look on her face. She was dying to know what happened. She knew that it had something to do with Barry, or else she’d be with him. Linda knew firsthand how tight Iris and Barry were. So she couldn’t imagine what happened to make Iris come to her needing a place to stay. She just sat there thinking when she heard Iris’ phone go off.

It rang 5 times in a row. Then she heard the chimes for the text messages. She was dying to know what they said, but would never invade Iris’ privacy like that.

Iris came out a while later wearing a pair of her pajamas and she didn’t mind at all. Iris was her bestest friend and she loved her.

She sat down on the sofa. “Sorry for invading your drawers.”

“Nonsense. They’re just pajamas.”

Iris was about to speak when she heard the chimes. She picked up her phone and saw several missed calls from Barry, along with several text messages. She read them and tried to keep her cool.

**Why did you leave?**

**Where are you?**

**Did I do something wrong?**

**Did I hurt you?**

**Iris, please talk to me.**

**Please come home.**

**I’m sorry.**

Iris wiped away a tear. She looked up at Linda and saw the same look of concern on her face. Might as well get it out. She needed someone to talk to. “I slept with Barry.”

Linda wasn’t the least bit shocked. She knew that was bound to happen, but that’s not what Iris needed to hear at the moment. “Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“How did that happen?” She really wanted to know what was the straw that broke the camel’s back and got them to knock out all that sexual tension they didn’t even realize was there.

“Well, the other night, my shower head broke and I had to use Barry’s. You know how we play practical jokes on each other, and the end result was my towel dropping and him seeing me naked. Things got awkward and weird, but we brushed it aside. Or so I thought.  We both admitted to having these feelings that we really couldn’t explain.  I went to the policeman’s ball with him and all his colleagues thought we were married. We left there and came home and watched _30 Rock_. Practical joking happened again, and I ended up wetting his bed. With water. I hid in my room until he discovered it. He went above and beyond and picked my lock and slept in my bed with me that night. I woke up in his arms. We had an awkward breakfast that we fixed together. I kind of went off the deep end in telling him that Becky was not the woman for him. Long story short, we ended up in bed together earlier. Until Becky brought her ass over and it hurt like hell seeing him with her. So I left.”

“Wow. What happened with Becky? Did she make a scene or something?”

“I don’t know. I left after he went to his bedroom with her.”

“What?” Linda asks in an incredulous tone.

“Yeah.”

“Does she know you two slept together?”

“As far as I know, no. She was all over him in the living room, then they went to his room.”

“He didn’t sleep with her while you were there, did he?”

“I don’t know. I doubt Barry would do something that gross and cruel.”

“So, he doesn’t know you left?”

“He does now.” Iris says as she gestures toward her phone.

“Let me get this straight. You slept with Barry, then you got interrupted by his…friend. He went into his room with her and you left?”

“Yeah. That’s pretty much it.”

“Why did you just up and leave like that?”

“Because I’m confused and fucked up. It hurt seeing him with her and that’s never really happened before. I’ve always hated her, and now deep down I wonder if that’s why or is she just an annoying bitch.”

“No, she’s annoying as fuck.” Linda says.

“She’s a fucking nightmare. But I have all these feelings I don’t know if I’m supposed to have. I just slept with the guy I’ve known since I was 5 years old. Barry is supposed to be my best friend, and that’s it. Now that’s ruined and I don’t know how to deal with it. I regret it, but I don’t. I’ve never felt this way after sleeping with someone. It’s Barry. He’s not just some dude I met one night. He’s like a part of me and now I feel like that part was roughly cut off from my body.”

“This might be too personal, but was the sex bad?”

Iris laughed despite herself. “No, it wasn’t bad. It was awkward at first and amazing. I tried to trick myself into thinking he was someone else, but it didn’t work. I was fully aware of the fact that I was screwing Barry. It felt like sex is supposed to feel. You know, that bullshit connection you see people talk about in romantic movies and books. It was electric and explosive. Barry has always been my true north. My best friend. I would give him a kidney if he needed one. I can’t imagine my life without him. I feel like I ruined that. Ruined us. And I don’t know how to handle that.”

“Why should you take all the blame? I’m sure he consented.”

“Because I’m the one that told him to get in the bed and I gave him the condom. I initiated sex. Had I not done that, we wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be here with you.”

“Have you ever stopped to think that this was supposed to happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on Iris. You and Barry are so fucking meant to be that it’s sickening that neither one of you has realized that until now. Everybody else can see it. All of your friends can. Even strangers think you two are together. I’ve never seen friends act the way you two act. And you two think it’s normal with the way you behave. You’re married without the paper. He had to see you naked to get the ball rolling. Now it’s really rolling, and you ran away?”

“Barry and I are just friends. Best friends. We aren’t meant to be together.” Iris says and feels like she got punched again when she said that.

“You two are meant to be. Everybody else can see it. You are in the best position. He’s your best friend. You’ve known him all your life. You’ve been with him through losing teeth, acne, puberty, losing your father’s, boyfriends and girlfriends. If he was a girl, your periods would be in sync. You two know more about each other than any other people in the world. You’re closer than some married couples I know. You don’t even have to get to know him better. You already know him completely. His mother loves you. I don’t see the problem but I understand why you ran away.”

Iris took that all in and started to cry. Linda hit her with truth bombs she wasn’t prepared for. Everything she said was true. And she ran away. She has Barry thinking he hurt her and did something wrong when he didn’t. “I’m scared, Linda.”

“I know. I can see that. I get it. But running away isn’t going to solve your problem. You need to talk to Barry. Knowing how he is and how he feels about you, I know he feels like shit right now and I don’t think you want to hurt him.”

“No, I don’t. I would never hurt Barry.”

“Then you need to talk to him. You can stay here as long as it takes, but you should at least give him a phone call or send him a text.” She stood and went into her bedroom to give Iris some privacy.

Iris picked up her phone and read the text messages again. She had gotten more.

**I’m sorry I pushed you too far and made you run away.**

**We can put this behind us.**

**Forget that it ever happened.**

**Ok?**

**:(**

The texts he sent her broke her heart. Barry didn’t deserve what she just did.

* * *

 

Once he got over the hurt and shock of realizing Iris was gone, Barry went to get his phone. He hated that she just left like that. Without a word. He figured Iris was having regrets about what happened. As much as he hated that, he didn’t want to be the cause of her pain. They could put that behind them. It was just sex.

Neither one of them were virgins, so it’s not like they needed to make a big deal out of it. They could pretend it was a drunken mistake, though it hurt him to think of being with Iris as a mistake. She wasn’t a mistake to him. But if he had to bury what happened between them to keep her in his life, then he would do that. He would do anything for Iris. Anything in the world.

He started calling her and didn’t get an answer. He knew he was being borderline creepy, but he didn’t care. This was Iris. He’d make an ass of himself for her. He needed to know that she was ok. Even if she didn’t want to come home, he just needed to know that.

He called her several more times and all his calls went unanswered. That felt like a kick to his chest. It felt like all the wind had been knocked out of him. He then sent her several text messages. Not one reply. He knew he was going to have to say goodbye to Iris and relationship they had with each other.

He went back to her room and sat on her bed as a way to somehow feel closer to her. He looked at the picture she had of them on her dresser and nearly lost it. He knew that without a doubt he loved and was in love with Iris and she was gone. They could have went their entire lives without ever sleeping together, but at least they would still be friends.

He figured she would probably move out soon. There was no way she could stay there. Truthfully, there was no way he wanted her there. Seeing her day in and day out would hurt way too much. They would have to be friends from a distance. Like normal best friends.

He then laid down in her bed as his way of getting closer to her and saying goodbye. He never thought having sex with Iris would ruin his life. Never in a million years thought that.

But there he was. Laying in her bed and clutching a pillow that smelled like her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a sample of the lyrics, "The Way" by Kehlani. I do not own those.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm such an idiot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the new chapter 2. I combined 1 and 2 again because I hated having that short first chapter. 
> 
> I apologize for the amount of smut in this chapter considering it's a holy day.

Iris sat alone with her thoughts and really didn’t know how to handle them. She was hurt and confused, but she knew that Barry was too. His texts to her felt like a punch in the gut, but seeing him with Beck-y was like a slap in the face. She had felt that way before, but didn’t know what it was at the time. Now that she slept with Barry, seeing him with her felt so fucking wrong. She never wanted to see that ever again.

She decided that she and Barry needed to talk. It couldn’t wait. She couldn’t let him sit in their place and leave him alone with thinking the worst. She owed him better than that. Barry wouldn’t do that to her.

She stood and walked to Linda’s bedroom. She knocked and went in after she told her to come in. She got in the bed with Linda and grabbed one of her pillows. They sat in silence for a moment.

“So, how are you feeling?” Linda asks.

“Hurt. Confused. Terrible. Excited. Weary. Perturbed. Anxious. Hopeful. Doubtful. I guess I’ll leave it there.”

Linda looked at Iris with wide eyes. “Yeah, that sounds about right for someone falling in love.”

Iris was now the one with wide eyes. “You think I’m falling in love with Barry?”

“I know so. I think you know so too.”

Iris felt like a freight train hit her. Linda was right. She was falling in love with Barry. Probably already was. The sex just sealed the deal. “I think you’re right.”

“Of course I am.”

“You said everybody else can see it. When did you see it? You never said anything.”

“Honestly? I think I saw it the first time I was really around you and Barry. I remember how we met in English class our freshman year and how instantly close we became. Then you talked about your best friend Bear and I thought it was so cute how you adored your best friend and how he was a huge nerd and how adorable you thought he was. I swear I was expecting one of the guys from The Big Bang Theory, then I saw his picture and thought he cute too. Then that summer between freshman and sophomore year, I came to stay with you and your mom and finally met Barry. True, he is a huge nerd, but it’s really endearing on him and honestly makes him more attractive. He’s not the stereotypical nerd like Steve Urkel. And that’s what I was expecting. So I finally met him in person and watched you two interact and I was taken aback. You two acted like a couple and I was like, ‘Oh, these dorks don’t even realize that they’re a couple.’ We went bowling with Felicity and Laurel and Barry was the only guy there, but you and him were seriously on a date. I guess Felicity and Laurel were used to how you act, but it was shocking to me. When you walked past us to wipe ketchup from his mouth, I thought I was being punked or something. I have never, ever, seen anybody do that unless it’s a parent and child or a couple. But you thought it was normal. I just kept it to myself and just waited to see when it would finally happen. I’m surprised it took this long. You’ve been living like a married couple with an open marriage and didn’t even realize it.”

“Wow.” Is all Iris can figure out to say at the moment.

Linda grabbed Iris’ hand. “Everything is going to work out. Don’t worry.”

“I can’t help but worry though, Linda. Barry is my lifeline. I can’t lose him.”

“You’re worrying for nothing. You and Barry are one couple I’d bet on.”

“We’re not a couple.”

“Not officially. But once you do get together, count on it lasting. If I’m wrong, I’ll become a nun.”

Iris couldn’t help but laugh at that.

* * *

 

Barry continued to lay in Iris’ bed clinging to her pillow. He missed her more than anything. His heart ached like she died instead of just being gone. He was so lost in thought of thinking about how miserable he’d be forever for losing her that he didn’t realize she was standing in her doorway, looking at him.

Iris stood there and watched him hug her pillow and felt her heart dropped. All she wanted to do was ease his pain.

“Hey.”

Barry jumped at the sound of her voice. He turned to look at her and sat up and tossed the pillow aside at the same time. He nervously ran his hand through his hair. “Hey.”

He just sat and stared at Iris for a moment. Neither knew what to say. Visions of their encounter flashed through his head. No matter what happened, he would never regret that.

“I guess it’s safe for me to assume that Beck-y is gone.”

“Yeah. She left after you did.”

“I’m sorry I ran off like that. I just couldn’t be here when…”

“When what?” Barry asks.

“Nothing. Never mind.”

“No, tell me.”

“I said it’s nothing, Barry.”

Barry searched her face and knew what she was keeping from him. “Do you really think I’d be with her while you were here? Do you really think I’d be with her at all after being with you?”

Iris swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “No, I know you wouldn’t do that. I know you wouldn’t do anything that gross and cruel.”

Barry accepted that even though he knew what she meant when she said it in the first place. He knew she wanted him to refute that notion, even if it wasn’t at all plausible. “Why did you leave, Iris?”

Iris exhaled and looked at the floor. She looked back up at him. “Because sleeping with you scared me and messed me up, Bear.” She felt the tears coming and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

“Did I hurt you? Scare you?”

“No Bear, you didn’t.”

“Then why were you messed up and scared?”

“Because I was afraid that I was going to lose you.”

“You can never lose me, Iris. We’re best friends. I’ll always be a part of your life. Even after you move out and go out with Eddie and have a future with him, I’ll still be here.”

That revelation shocked Iris. “You want me to move out?”

“No! I just assumed you’d want to after what happened between us.”

“I don’t want to move out, Bear.”

“Good.”

“Did you tell her?”

“No, but she figured it out. I didn’t confirm her suspicions.”

“What did she say?”

“That she knew my bed being wet and me turning her down only meant that I was just with someone. She threatened to come ask you and when I got angry about that, she accused us of being more than friends and assuming that the person I was just with was you. I asked her to leave after that.”

Iris took that in and didn't say a word. Just mulled it over a bit.

“I told Linda.”

“Is that where you went?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok.”

“She told me I needed to talk to you. I figured I owed you more than a text or a phone call.”

“Thanks.” Barry says and waits for the other shoe to drop.

Iris walked over and sat next to him on the bed. She grabbed his hand. It felt nice with her hand inside his. “I don’t want this to ruin us, Bear.”

“It won’t. I promise. I meant what I said in my texts. We can pretend this never happened.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I’ll do whatever you want me to do to make this right.”

“I regretted sleeping with you.” Iris says and Barry’s heart drops.

“I did too.” Iris’ heart dropped as well.

“But I don’t anymore. Even if you do, I still don’t.”

“I don’t regret being with you, Iris. I could never regret sharing something that amazing with you.”

Iris intertwined her fingers with his. Linda really was right. She was in love with him. She looked up at him and smiled. “Are you sure this isn’t going to ruin our friendship?”

"Our friendship isn't going to get ruined, Iris." Barry says.

"I really hope you're right about that. You're really important to me Bear." Iris confesses and smiles at him.

He pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it. "Besides my mother, you are the most important person in my life. I won't allow our friendship to be ruined. You will always be my best friend, Iris. But we can't just be friends anymore." Barry says.

"I know that we can't just be best friends anymore. I'm sorry if that scares me. I kind of like you a little bit." She says and then smiles.

“I kind of like you too.”

“So you didn’t tell Beck-y about us?”

“No, I didn’t. I kind of felt like that would be disrespectful to you for some reason. I felt really bad when she touched me. Like I was cheating on you or something. That weirded me out a bit and she became hostile when I pushed her away.”

“I didn’t like how I felt when I saw her all over you. That’s why I left. It hurt me more than I thought it could.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I hated seeing Eddie touch you. That’s why I drank so much that night.”

“Are you upset that I told Linda?”

“Of course not. She’s our friend, mostly yours though.”

“Linda said she’s surprised it took this long and that it’s ridiculous you had to see me naked to get the ball rolling.”

“She said that?”

“Yeah. She also said we’ve been married without the paper and acted like we had an open marriage until now. She thinks we’re meant to be together.”

Barry looked at her intently. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s possible. But we’ve been friends for so long, Bear. What if taking it to this level ruins it? What if we realize we aren’t compatible as a couple?”

“Iris, there’s really some truth into what Linda said. We have been like a married couple. Look at how long we’ve been friends. We now know everything about each other. How can that get ruined? Unless you didn’t like the sex and we are doomed.”

“No, I didn’t like the sex at all.”

Barry felt his heart drop. He thought it was great after it wasn’t awkward anymore. “I’m sorry about that.” He says as he looks at her.

Iris took in the sad look on his face and was sad that he didn’t catch on. “No need to be sorry, Bear.” She says then smiles.

Barry finally caught on. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Positive, actually. I’m even sure I’m willing to give you another chance in convincing me.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I say you convince me sometime soon.”

“That’s a deal.”

 

* * *

 

 

Iris spent the majority of her day thinking about Barry and her unforgettable weekend with him. She got a little lost in thought and really had to force herself to focus on school. She got lost in the sauce thinking of Barry's hands, body, penis and mouth. She shifted in her seat in the classroom when she thought of his hands fingering her. Her classmate Kendra looked at her and slightly giggled. She knew exactly what was up with Iris.

Barry had sort of the same day thinking of Iris. He had explicit visions of Iris' body in his mind and what he did with it. He totally zoned out in a meeting. Cisco had to tap him. "What's with you, man?" Cisco asked under his breath.

"Nothing." Barry lies.

"Thinking about your best friend?" Cisco accuses.

Barry locked eyes with him. "No." He lies again.

"I would be if I was you." Cisco says and returns his attention back to the meeting.

Barry just smirked and went back to thinking about Iris and the things he wanted to try. He didn't have a problem with what Cisco said. He would have had it been Eddie.

After the meeting, Eddie walked up to him and patted him on his back. "So, your sexy and hot best friend told me to get details from you about the party you're having Saturday night. I asked her out and she invited me." Eddie says and Barry knows he's saying it to mess with him.

Barry chuckled. "She told me. It's a Toga party. Iris' idea." He says.

"Great. I can't wait to see what she's going to wear." Eddie says.

Barry wanted to clock Eddie. "Be there at 7." He says. He doesn't want that asshole in his house, near his Iris.

"Cool. Do I need to bring anything?" He asks.

"You can bring a few beers if you want." Barry says.

"I'll do that." Eddie says and walks off.

Barry just watched him walk away and hoped that he wouldn't have to kill him with his bare hands over Iris.

* * *

 

Late in the afternoon, Iris arrived home. She looked in the freezer for dinner and realized she didn't feel like cooking. She and Barry would have to order in. That would be more time for them to play around. Maybe they would sleep together again. She immediately went to shower and then study. She wanted that done before Barry came home. She was excited to see him.

A few hours later, Barry came home and was instantly happy when he locked eyes with Iris when he walked through the door. He loved seeing her sitting on the couch. He took in the small tee-shirt and boy shorts she was wearing and got aroused.

Barry walked over to sit on the couch next to her. He leaned over and kissed Iris on the cheek. "How was your day?" He asks.

"Great. I actually missed you. Got a little lost in thought in class thinking about you." Iris admits. "How was your day?"

Barry grinned. "The same. I thought about you in a meeting. I had a talk with Eddie. He's excited about seeing you at the party." He says and smiles, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Iris frowned, then sighed. "We're really going to have to put on a show at this party, Barry." She says.

"I know. What did you have in mind though?" Barry asks.

Iris takes this time to get into Barry's lap. "A little bit of this." She says and pecks his lips. "And a little bit of this." She then grabs his crotch and he grabs her ass.

"I like the way you think. Have I ever told you that?" Barry asks as he starts to rub her ass.

Iris smiled. "You did."

Barry leaned forward and kissed her. "I thought about kissing these lips all day." He says.

"You did?" Iris asks as she acts surprised.

"Yeah, I did." He took his hand and pulled her boy shorts away from the front of her body and looked down. "I want to kiss those lips too."

 _What the hell?_ Iris thought. "If you insist." She says and presses her lips to his.

Iris continued to kiss her best friend turned benefits buddy. She didn't know what else to call Barry. It seemed like they were still best friends but had sex and thought they would be more than buddies for the moment. They were making up for all the things they didn't do when they were teenagers. When neither was thinking about the other but were discovering the opposite sex and sex. When they had sleepovers and could have went there several times. When everybody thought they were hooking up but they weren't. When they could have played, 'If I show you mine, will you show me yours'. She thought of all the times Barry had been in her bedroom and her bed. The many times she was in his. The many times they went swimming and had water and chicken fights. She thought of the many times he put her up on his shoulders and her vagina being dangerously close to his face. Now he was offering to kiss it. She started to feel giddy, but awkward. Finally breaking away from the kiss, she moaned a faint, "Barry, wait. Just wait a second." She says and looks him in the eyes.

Barry stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "Why?" He questioned.

"Are we really going to do this?" She asks and looks at him in wonderment.

“We’ve already had sex, Iris.”

“I know.”

“Nervous?”

“Yeah, I am. The first time it wasn’t planned. It was the quickest spur of the moment thing I’ve ever done. You see how I acted afterwards.”

“And you’re afraid that will happen again?” Barry asks.

“Yes. And I don’t want that because I want you.”

“I want you too, Iris. I thought about you all day.”

“You did?”

"Yes." He answers and goes back to kiss her. He loved kissing Iris' full lips. He then went for her neck and started to kiss and lick on her.

"Barry." Iris says as she gets a little into him licking her neck. Her vagina started jumping. She felt his unmistakable erect bulge push at her.

Barry lifted his head up from its current position on her neck and panted. "What?" He asks with a look of confusion in his eyes.

Iris bit her bottom lip and looked at him. She began running a nervous hand through her hair. Sometimes the way he looked at her…

“Nothing. I’m just getting used to the different way we look at each other. That’s all.”

“Well, I love the way you look at me now. Makes me feel like less of a nerd.”

“Bear, you still are and always will be a nerd. But you’re an adorable nerd. And you’re my nerd. No need to worry. I like you just the way you are.”

Barry grinned and it made Iris smile. “You really are the perfect woman for me.” He says and kisses her.

"Ok. I didn't feel like cooking, so we need to order out." She says once she gets her thoughts together and breaks the kiss.

"Good. What do you want to order?" Barry asks. He took his fingers and lightly pinched her clitoris between his two fingers.

Iris jerked and her legs shook. "Whoa." She says and Barry grins and pulls his fingers out of her shorts. She started to salivate when he stuck his fingers in his mouth. He never took his eyes off of her as he did it.

He smirked at her and patted her ass. "Decide what to order. I'm going to take a shower." He says as Iris moves from his lap and he stands and walks toward his bedroom.

"Anything in particular you really want to eat?" She asks.

Barry stopped and turned to face her, smirk in tow. "You." He says and continues walking.

Iris clamped her legs together tightly as she watched him walk away.

Barry walked into his bedroom with a grin on his face. He knew he had gotten under Iris’ skin. He took her there; he just knew he did. He put most of his cards on the table. He told her what was going through his mind. He did want to taste her. He had to force himself not to just ravage her there on the sofa. He really wanted Iris. Bad. Really bad. He at first was mad at himself for pushing her too far and seeing her naked, changing their friendship forever. Now, he didn't feel bad at all. She wanted him too. He was just mad at himself for not realizing it sooner. He had Iris in his grasp for 20 years and all it took was seeing her naked one night. Then he started thinking that things happened the way they were supposed to. It took that and his colleagues seeing them together and thinking they were married to really get the ball rolling. She almost slipped through his fingers.

Now he faced having a conversation with her about where they were going, what they were doing, and what they were. They had already slept together once. He felt the need to reinforce to her that their friendship wouldn't be ruined and that she still was and always would be his best friend, even if they were now sleeping together. Nothing would change that. He couldn't picture his life without Iris in it. They had seen each other almost every day of their lives since they were 5. Minus the times they went on trips and vacations with their families. The most amount of time they spent apart was when they went to college. They still talked all the time and saw each other on long weekends, holidays, and spring and summer break. The only other person he thinks he saw more was his mother Nora. It had been a while since he saw her. He saw Iris every day since she moved in with him. His life wouldn't make sense if that changed.

He always thought that eventually Iris would meet a great guy, he'd have to give him the talk about not ever hurting her, and then walking her down the aisle. She would of course move out and share her life with this guy. Possibly have kids and they would start seeing each other on weekends, holidays, and birthdays like normal friends. That wasn't an option for him now. She told him about his bad choices in women and then described the perfect woman for him. The perfect woman just happened to be her. She was the perfect woman for him. In many ways, she already was his woman. She washed his clothes, took care of him when he was sick, cooked for him and made sure he ate right. She even kept up with his doctor's appointments. They went grocery shopping together, she helped pick out his clothes, and they went on dates. They already paid bills together. Iris was just always there for him like nobody else was. He didn't mind doing anything for her.

Barry undressed and walked into his bathroom. He stepped into his shower as the water started to hit him. He was very well aware of how aroused he was. He wanted Iris in that shower with him. He silently wished that she would come in there with him. He lightly stroked his erection and thought about Iris touching it the day before. It felt like a gun in his hands and he was ready to fire. He wasn't going to stroke it and get himself off. He expected his arousal to go away anther way. He thought about Iris’ lips and how soft they were. He thought about kissing them. Both pair. He thought about his fingers touching her lips and her clitoris. He remembered his fingers disappearing inside of her as he watched. He thought of his thumb and fingers on her. He thought about him just kissing and rubbing her lips. He thought about how he just licked his fingers in front of her. He could still taste her. Without even realizing it, he ejaculated right in the shower. He was kind of relieved that he got that out of the way. He considered that his first one. He knew the second one was always better.

He smiled to himself thinking of that as he finished his shower.

Iris had to shake her head to remove the naughty thoughts from her mind about Barry. She went to look through the menus and decided to order them Philly cheese steaks and fries. Barry wasn't hard to please and that's what she wanted. She placed the order and went back to sit on the couch. She started thinking too much. Barry was getting sexier and sexier to her. She always thought he was cute, but now her vagina quivered and her mouth watered around him. She couldn't believe the thoughts that ran through her mind about her best friend. She was picturing him naked. She was picturing him between her legs. Her best friend. He knew all her secrets. He knew things about her she wouldn't even tell her husband when she got one.

What if Barry becomes her husband? She never thought about marrying Barry before. Ever. But now she was thinking about it. Barry kind of was like her husband, even though he was her best friend. They lived together, they paid the bills, she cooked, they curled up on the sofa and watched tv together, and they went shopping together. Their families loved each other. She loved his mother like her own. She didn't have a father, but she had two moms. Her mother loved Barry like her son from all the stuff he used to do for her. Iris made sure that he ate vegetables and didn't live off pizza like he would if she wasn't there. He would never get checkups if it wasn't for her. She fed him soup and took his temperature when he was sick. She was a beneficiary on his life insurance policy along with Nora and his emergency contact.

She and Barry had lived like husband and wife with separate bedrooms for so long, they didn't even see it. People joked that they bickered like an old married couple, and they just thought it was part of their friendship. They bickered all their lives, but nothing major. They called each other out but never stayed mad at each other long. It didn't feel right for them to be mad at each other. Iris stopped him from doing stupid things like buying a motorcycle. She forbade him to do that because of how dangerous they are. She showed him the results of people riding motorcycles all the time until he got it. Then she told him he could lose his damn legs and not die, he finally just said to hell with it. He figured it wasn't worth losing his legs, life, or Iris if he got it.

They ate each other’s food. He was her emergency contact as well. He was her beneficiary too just because she was on his with Nora. He let her use his credit card always. She really only spent her money on things for him, friends and family for birthdays and holidays. Barry really provided for her; just like a husband provided for his wife. She didn't know if Barry wanted to get married. She figured he would when he got older. He brushed it off when she talked about it. She figured he would probably end up succumbing to Beck-y's demands after she had been married for years with kids. The thought of him marrying that nightmare made her sick though. She knew he wanted a son that he could play baseball with like his father did with him. Iris didn't care, but she kind of pictured having a son as well to play with Barry's baseball playing son. Iris was going way too far with her thinking. Barry as her husband? Maybe. Then she laughed and put that out of her mind.

She stopped thinking just in time when their food arrived. She was walking it to the island when he came out of his room in just his boxers. He was putting a shirt on and Iris got in a trance at looking at him. She exhaled and her lips quivered. "The food smells great." He says as he finishes putting his shirt on. He notices the look Iris has on her face and almost laughed.

"Yeah, it does. I hope what I ordered is ok." Iris says and goes to the fridge to get them drinks.

"Yes. You always make the best decisions when it comes to feeding me." He says and stares at her. Iris knows there's a hidden meaning to his statement. She can just tell.

"Thanks for appreciating it." She says and settles at the island with his beer and her green tea.

He sits down next to her on the stool and playfully moved his stool closer. He purposely grazed her thigh with his leg. His hairy leg felt good brushing up against her leg. She felt a shiver soar through her and made her giddy. He went through the bag and got the one with ketchup and mustard and gave it to her. "I can't believe you eat this like this. You're weird." He jokes.

"I am not weird. The way you eat it with jalapenos is weird. Do I say anything?" She says and takes some fries.

"It's not weird. And you do say things. I just ignore you always running your mouth and criticizing me like you're my wife or something." He says to put that out here

"I do not always run my mouth and criticize you. And I have to act like your wife or else you'd just kill yourself. Remember when you wanted a motorcycle? You'd be dead or in a wheelchair by now if it wasn't for me." She says and takes a bite of her sandwich.

"Do we really have to discuss the motorcycle again? I didn't get it. You took the fun right out of that." He says and bites his own sandwich.

"It wouldn't be fun when you're in a wheelchair without legs. I was right and you know it." She says.

Barry admits defeat. "You are always right." He says and then looks at her.

"What?" Iris wonders.

He takes his hand and rubs her thigh. "You were right when you described the perfect woman for me." He says as he stares her in the eyes and continues to rub her thigh.

Iris swallowed her food. "I was?" She asks in awe.

Barry smiles. "Yeah, you were. You're right that you're the perfect woman for me." He says sincerely.

"You still think I was describing myself?" She has to ask him that.

"Yes. You were. We both know that. Can you just admit that?" Barry wonders.

Iris exhales. "I was but not intentionally at first. Then you called me out on it and I realized that I did." She says and then smiles. She put her hand over his.

"Are you ready for the job?" He asks as he stops stroking. His heart was beating really fast.

Iris’ heart started beating fast as well. "Yes." She answers and leans over to kiss him. "Can we finish eating now?" She asks after the kiss.

"Yes." He says and smiles widely. They continue eating their food and there's a knock at the door. They look at each other. "Not again." Barry says. He gets up to open it because he's more dressed than Iris is. He opens the door and is again pissed off by the visitor. Becky walks in again.

She looks over at Iris and puts on a fake smile. "Am I interrupting?" She asks as she looks back at Barry.

He shuts the door but only because he and Iris aren't dressed. "Yeah, you are." Barry answers. He instantly stopped liking her.

"Thanks for calling to check on me to see if I was ok yesterday." She says in a nasty and sarcastic tone.

Iris picked up her food. "I'm going to leave you guys alone so that you can talk in private." She says as she stands.

"You don't have to leave, Iris. You live here. I actually want you here." Barry says smartly. Iris followed his lead and sat back down. Fuck Beck-y Coo-per.

Becky takes in what Iris is wearing and Barry just wearing boxers. She knew what the deal was. She was deeply hurt and offended by Barry's tone and statement. "Wow, Barry. Way to charm me." She says again in a sarcastic tone.

Iris just ate her food. She didn't have time for this. Nope, not at all. Barry looked at her and then decided it was really time to end things with her once and for all. "What in the hell makes you think you can keep coming over here without calling first?" He asks sharply.

Becky smiles and ignores him. "Is your mattress still wet?" She asks and looks around.

"Why?" Barry asks. There's no way she's getting anywhere near his bed. "What are you doing here, Becky?"

"I just wanted to see if things felt differently today. They actually feel worse. Did you guys already fuck or were you going to wait until later?" She asks in a hostile tone.

Iris rolled her eyes and swallowed her food. “No, we haven’t fucked today yet. But we did yesterday. Right before you came over.”

“What?! You fucked _her_ right before I came over yesterday?!”

"Who I fuck isn't your business anymore. I will not ever fuck you again. You have yourself to thank for that one." He says, hoping his anger doesn't go too far.

She recoiled and got tears in her eyes. "Really? You just end this just like that? You slept with _her_?!" She asks.

"Yes. I should have done it yesterday. Maybe even before then." Barry states and deadpans her.

"Why?" She shrieks. She looked on the verge of a breakdown.

"Why?" Barry chuckled to remove some of his anger. "This isn't working any more. Why should we waste our time?" He asks.

"So you just throw away what we had for _her_?” Becky asks. The way she keeps saying 'her' is really starting to piss Iris off.

"What are you talking about? What we had was nothing really. Even if it was something, do you really think I wouldn’t give it up to be with Iris?" Barry questions.

“What is so special about her?”

"You're right. She is special." He says. It felt good to admit it. He hates that she had to get hurt in the process, but she never should have come over there like that. He was going to break it to her gently.

Becky just looks at him. She starts to head for Iris and Barry grabs her arm. "Let me go!" She yelled.

Iris actually had to laugh at that. She stood up. “Yeah, Bear. Let her go.”

Barry was now afraid. He knew Iris could throw a mean punch. "I really don't think you want to do that, Becky." Barry says surely as she struggled to get out of his grasp. He really thought she had lost it.

"Why not? She needs to pay for this! She needs to feel pain!" She screams.

"Becky, you don't have to blame her for this. We weren't exclusive and you know that. You said it yesterday. Besides, I won't allow anyone to hurt her but I'm doing this for your benefit. Iris will kill you." He says and walks her over to the door. He opens it and finally releases her. "Don't come back." He says and slams the door in her face.

Barry immediately looks over at iris. “She’s fucking nuts.” She says and sits back down to eat her food.

He instantly starts apologizing "I'm sorry for that, Iris. I had no idea she would come over here like that again. I was going to have a talk with her. I'm sorry." Barry says.

"I told you she was a nightmare." Is all Iris says.

"She was. Is. I never expected that from her.”

"You don't have to apologize, Barry. Her coming over here isn't your fault." She says and smiles.

"Thanks. I thought you would blame me." He says. He goes to sit back down next to her.

“I hate that she messed up our moment."

"She did, but we can get back to that." He says. "So we're good?" Barry asks.

"Of course we're good. When are we ever not good?" Iris asks and smiles.

"Ok.”

They finished eating, cleaned up their mess and retreated to Iris’ bedroom. They were both a little nervous because they knew what was going to happen. They did have the cushion of already sleeping together first to ease some of the nervousness, but they were still fully aware that they were taking their friendship/relationship even further. They couldn’t chalk it up to heat of the moment or a mistake anymore. They were completely in the know now.

They started to kiss languidly at first, then it became hot and passion filled. Barry was so erect, it almost hurt. But he knew he had to wait. They essentially had all night.

"Are you really sure about this, Iris?" Barry asks as he reluctantly breaks the kiss.

She stared deep into his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure." Iris says and starts to kiss him again.

That was all Barry needed to hear. He stared at her longingly and took his shirt off. As soon as his shirt was past his head, Iris climbed on him and straddled his waist.

She smiled at him before she grabbed the sides of his face and brought her lips to his. She hungrily kissed him as he rubbed his hands up her back and quickly broke the kiss as took her tee shirt off. He smiled at the sight of her naked breasts in front of him again. He took his thumb and slowly started to rub her nipples. They were already erect, but became stiffer at him rubbing them. Iris moved her hair out of her face as she smiled at him again and bit her lip. She leaned forward and started to kiss Barry again. Her straddling his waist and feeling how aroused he was really put her in the moment. Instead of scaring her like it did before, it turned her on and made her vagina moist with anticipation.

Barry took his hand and started to rub her ass. He started to play with the bands of her boy shorts and slipped his finger under them. He slid his hand down her ass and stopped. He stuck his middle finger inside of her and felt his penis jump at how wet she was. He noticed that she was wetter than she was earlier so that really let him know she was ready for him and wanted to do this. He stopped kissing her lips and went for her neck as he continued to finger her. He got more turned on when she moaned into his ear. He fingered her some more as she continued to moan into his ear until he stopped and grabbed her by the waist and rolled them over.

He hopped off the bed and quickly yanked his boxers off. He got back into the bed with Iris and started to kiss her before moving to her neck and then he lowered his head and started to kiss her breasts. He knew that she liked that from the reaction he got from her earlier. He repeated those exact actions as he paid special attention to her erect nipples as he nibbled on both of them. He licked around the areola and took her nipple into his mouth. He licked and sucked on her nipples like he was hungry and they were food. He fondled and teased it with his tongue until he felt Iris tug on his hair and moaned again. He liked it when she tugged on his hair. He kissed down her abdomen and stopped at her belly button that stopped just above where her boy shorts ended. He gripped the sides of her boy shorts and slowly pulled them from her body. She had already been naked in front of him before, but now he really took his time to enjoy it.

At first he just glanced over her body because he was catching her off guard and it was an accident, so he was hurrying. The second time he did take a little longer to look, but that still got interrupted with him getting naked for her and then them hurrying and having sex. Now, he was going to take his time. He admired every line and curve of her body. He admired it so much he wanted her naked in front of him all the time. He had never been with a woman more beautiful than her. He fingered her with his thumb and then lightly kissed on her vagina. She moaned at that action so he figured she liked it and did it again. He licked his thumb and went back to fingering her with his thumb. Her moans turned him on and figured he could get her to moan more and maybe even scream if he did more than finger her.

Iris felt an abundance of emotions when Barry started kissing her down there. She at first started thinking that it was so wrong that she was laying in her bed spread eagled with her best friend doing that to her. It felt so wrong. If felt so right. It was killing her. He was her nerdy best friend. She couldn't describe how good it felt.

"How does that feel?" He asked her in the sexiest voice she had ever heard.

"It feels great. Best feeling in the world." Iris moaned out.

"Good." He says and goes back to pleasuring her with his mouth.

Iris started to get lost in thought and the actions of what he was doing to her. I should stop him. Should I stop him? But...it...feels...so... I didn't know I wanted him to do this. I should stop him. This isn't right. Suddenly, her alter ego took over and nearly cursed her out. No, you don't fucking stop him! What's wrong with you?! Enjoy that shit! You know you like it and need it. He wants to do it so let him. So shut the hell up, Iris! Iris's alter ego gave her the business and she chose to listen to her. She went back to thinking that she would be sorry in the morning. Or maybe not. Judging by how good she felt now from what he was doing to her, she didn't feel at all sorry. Don't you feel a little bit guilty? The moral police asked her. Why should I feel guilty? Her alter ego asked as her answer.

She felt stupid for wanting to stop him because it felt so wrong and so right. Then she focused on what was going on. She closed her eyes and went along with it but it was all about the feelings with her eyes closed. She gripped the sheets and tried not to embarrass herself too much. She made the mistake of grabbing Barry's hair and that brought her back to him being the one to do that to her. Then she started beating herself up again about feeling that way. He offered and wanted to do that. No reason to deny him or herself that. She put all of her bull, crazy, and internal thinking out of her mind and just focused on how good his mouth felt on her. It was a sin that it felt that good.

It didn't even feel like a dream because it felt that good. It was better than a dream. She had had sex dreams before, but none like this. Then she thought that she might have bitten the bullet and died and this was her welcoming to Heaven. She had never felt that good in her whole life. It was good enough to pay for. She didn't even want to think of where he learned to do it. She was just grateful that she was reaping the benefits of him wanting to kiss her. He was doing more than kissing her though. He was serenading her vagina. She felt him lick and kiss her lips. She felt him slip a finger inside of her and move it around. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on. She lightly grabbed his hair.

"Barry...Barry...Barry...Barry..." She moaned. She let his hair go and reached over and grabbed one of her pillows and screamed into it. "Oh...my...god..." She says through screams and pants.

Barry was totally into what he was doing and pleasing her. Hearing her call his name out in pleasure made him never want to stop. He wasn't expecting her to scream into her pillow though. It really did make him feel like s king because of the reaction he was getting from her. He removed his mouth from her and tried to soothe her with his words. "Iris...Iris just let go." He says to coax her into relaxing and letting the orgasm overtake her. He went back to pleasing her orally as his tongue and lips moved like crazy around her v shaped region. He gave her swollen nub one final suck and Iris broke free. She let out the orgasm she was holding back.

Her body jerked as she pulled the pillow away from her face. She wiped her forehead and breathed out. "Oh my god. That was incredible." She says again as Barry comes from his position between her legs to beside her on the bed. Iris hated that she felt embarrassed though she felt like she was walking on sunshine. She continued to breathe out and gain her composure. That was the best head she had ever had in her entire life. She finally looked over at Barry and the look he had on his face. She couldn't place it. It was between elation, his world-famous grin, and victory. She smiled at him and didn't feel like she thought she'd feel. Even though they experienced and shared that, she was glad that she didn't look at him and either one of them felt weird.

Iris rolled over and pressed her lips to his. It was the first thing she could think of to do to let him know that things weren't weird and she was ok with what just happened. She tasted herself on his mouth and that kind of turned her on more. She didn't think that kissing a man right after he went down on her would turn her on that much. But it did. It kind of turned her on and made her want to do something nasty. They were adults and she took care of her vagina. If it's good enough for him to taste, then she can too. She would be offended if she gave a guy head and he didn't want to kiss her afterwards. She started to kiss him deeper and reached down to stroke his erect penis.

She started to stroke it and felt it get harder while it was in her hand. She slowly stroked as they tongue kissed and she realized that was really the first time that she had him in her hand like that. She released his penis and Iris broke the mouth kiss and started to kiss his neck and kissed down his body. She started to move her head lower. She stroked his dick and kissed his abdomen. She started to move lower when Barry stiffened. “Relax, Bear.” Iris says as she pulled away from him and quickly went to his crotch area.

She licked on his already erect penis and it somehow got harder. She watched the thick veins form in it before her very eyes. Barry made a noise she couldn't quite decipher when she fully took him into her mouth. She licked and sucked on him until he called out her name. That turned her on and made her vagina quiver. She wanted his dick inside of her again. She wanted to make a mold of his penis that she could keep with her always to use whenever she felt like it. She wouldn’t have to do that since they lived together and could have him anytime she wanted. She gave more sucks to the thick bulbous head and Barry reached down to tap her and warn her. “I’m really…about…to blow…Iris.” He managed to pant out. Her mouth felt so good on him he could barely contain himself. When she didn't stop, he made another indistinguishable sound, then cursed.

Iris climbed beside him and watched his orgasm face. It was the sexiest and cutest thing she had ever seen. Barry was a dork, even while busting one.

He looked over at her and the sly smile she had on her face and it turned him on greatly. He was ready to go. No other woman made him come down off an orgasm high that fast and made him that hard again immediately after. He figured only Iris could do that.

He abruptly grabbed her thighs and rolled her over on to her abdomen. He moved towards her head and started to kiss the nape on her neck. He kissed down her spine slowly as he massaged and kissed her ass cheeks. He stopped at the small of her back and then gently grabbed her waist and pulled her up by it. He pulled her ass close to his crotch. He rubbed the length of her slit with his fingers first, and then his penis. He took his fingers and rubbed her clitoris and her opening and she was still wet and ready for him. He teased her clitoris with the tip of his dick and then her lips until he focused on her opening. He slowly slid inside of her and never wanted to leave at the feeling of how wet, warm and tight she was. Her vagina felt like Heaven to him and he wanted to reside in there forever. He started to slowly pound and thrust into her. Each thrust was met with a moan from her and that somehow made him harder. Iris' reactions to what he was doing to her really turned him on because he knew they were genuine and she wasn't faking it. She truly liked what he was doing to her and that made him feel good. Plus her sticking to her word and really being ready and wanting him made her even sexier to him. He wanted more of her and what they were doing. He really got into his groove of having doggy style sex with Iris. It was his favorite position, He now wanted and needed her to get on top because he wanted to see her face, so he decided to whisper that in her ear. He knew that would make her more inclined to do so. "I want you to ride me." Barry says in his sexy voice.

Iris stopped moaning and moving in front of him for a moment and turned around and looked at him. Barry loved the sexy look she gave him. She bit her lip again and then smiled. "Ok." She says and he pulls out of her and lies on his back on her bed. He got turned on at the sight of her climbing on him. He almost lost it when she grabbed is dick and put it inside of her and leaned down to kiss him on the mouth. She started to ride him and he loved the look on her face and her breasts bouncing in front him. He enjoyed the sight of that and then reached up to palm one. He then took his hand and slid it down her stomach and stopped at her vagina. He took his thumb and started to rub her clitoris. She moaned when he lightly pinched it. Iris really got into her rhythm of riding him and he felt like he had really awakened her wild side. He could tell that Iris turned into a different woman in the bedroom, now that she wasn’t nervous and afraid. He liked that she turned into a sex kitten.

Iris really let herself go and enjoy having sex with Barry. She was already at the point of no return, so she might as well enjoy it. And she was enjoying it. Barry was good. Hell, even great. Fuck it, he was the best. Barry definitely knew what to do with his mouth and his penis. Him drilling her from behind felt so good, she didn't want him to stop. Then he asked her to get on top and she just went wild. Barry brought out a side of her she didn't know she had. I should have fucked Barry years ago. She thought as she continued to ride him. She started to get that feeling. She was about to reach her peak and have orgasm number two. She wanted a few more before the night was out. She started to think of all the dick she was going to get from Barry in the next several hours and lost it. She felt her vagina jump and stopped for a second. Then she continued to ride him and he got there with her minutes later. He grabbed her by the waist and went stiff as he unloaded. Iris climbed off him and laid beside him. She looked over at the sexy ass man in her bed. She realized she had never been with a man sexier than Barry. It was the shocking truth. Who knew Barry, Bear, had that in him? He turned towards her and gave her a look she had never seen on his face before. She wondered what it meant. Barry was thinking that she was too awesome and too beautiful and that he was the luckiest man in the world.

“What?” Iris asks.

“That was kind of amazing.”

“It was. It no longer feels weird. It did for a moment at first.”

“You’re right. It feels like it’s supposed to.”

Iris blushed. “We should have started doing this years ago.”

“Then it’s time for us to play catch up. You in?”

“Absolutely.”

 

* * *

 

For the third morning in a row, Iris woke up in Barry's arms. They had taken a huge plunge the night before. Iris was fairly certain that they were in a relationship, but she really couldn't be sure. He told her that she was right about her describing herself as the perfect woman for him and asking her if she wanted the job. She assumed that's what he meant. She always seemed to wake up before Barry. This time she kissed him on the cheek and walked into her bathroom. She wondered if they would always make a habit of sleeping together and awaking with her in his arms. Do we join rooms? Do I move into his since his is bigger? Do we switch rooms each night? What if one of us wants to sleep alone? What happens now? Iris wondered. She was lost in thought standing at her sink when Barry appeared at her bathroom door.

He just stood and watched her. He realized she didn't know he was watching her. He saw the look on her face in the mirror. She was looking down and smiling and blushing. He saw her smiling and instantly got happy. He felt like he was the one that put that smile on her face. He was loving the change in their relationship more and more. "Good morning." Barry says.

Iris jumped a little and turned to face him. She blushed again. "Good morning." She replies and smiles.

"You seem happy." Barry states and just smiles at her.

"That's because I am. My boyfriend kind of made he happy last night." She says and then her smile fades. "I am supposed to be your girlfriend, right?" she wonders.

"Of course. What did you think I meant when I asked you if you were ready for the job?" He asks and folds his arms.

Iris grinned like a little girl. Barry loved it when she did that. It reminded him of when he saw her for the first time in kindergarten. He'd always remember the cute girl with the long hair and smile that could make a blind person see. "I just wanted to be sure." She says.

"Can I please break it to Eddie? So we can cancel that non party? I'd much rather take you on a real date. A sexy date." Barry says and grins at her some more.

"Oh god yes. But I'd rather he sees that we're together than you tell him." Iris says and smiles. That lets Barry know she has a plan.

"Ok. Cool. I'll just tell him that we rescheduled it. We didn't invite anyone anyway." Barry says.

"Right." Iris says and smiles. She goes to put her shower cap on.

"I'm going to my room to get ready. I'll see you in the kitchen." Barry says.

"Ok." Iris says as she smiles and gets ready to start her day. She looked in her closet and tried to find what to wear. She settled on a black and white pinstriped skirt and black pumps. She had so many skirts and dresses it wasn't funny. She had always been a dress and skirt kind of girl. She remembered all the knee and thigh high socks and skirts she wore in high school. Even though she covered them, she had great legs. She had great everything if she did say so herself. She hurried and fixed her hair and went to the kitchen to fix her and Barry a quick breakfast. She quickly beat eggs for omelets because she had to meet her classmates before they went to class.

Iris was flipping Barry's omelet when he walked in the kitchen and stood behind her. He put his face in her neck and started to nibble. Iris dropped the spatula when his tongue traveled up her neck and he started to suck. "Barry. I can't go to school with a hickey on my neck." She says.

He stops devouring her neck and just kissed her cheek. "I'll make sure to put them where only I can see them." Barry says.

"Deal. Now stop before I burn your breakfast." Iris says and playfully bumps him with her butt.

"Do that again and I'll miss work and you'll miss school." He says. He pecked her cheek again and went to get juice from the fridge.

Iris just giggled and finished cooking.

Barry got to work with nothing but Iris and their previous night on his mind. He was getting that feeling in the pit of his stomach again. He just sat in his lab and thought about her. He started realizing that those feelings were him falling in love. He already loved Iris to death. He was now falling in love with her. He had seriously liked girls and women in the past, but he never felt those pangs before. He did really care about Becky, but it didn't feel how he was starting to feel for Iris. He really started thinking about her and had a way he wanted to surprise her that evening.

Barry forgot all about doing his job for a moment when Eddie came and knocked on his lab door. "Hey, Barry. I wanted to know if I could bring someone to the party Saturday night? Iris will have friends there, right?" He asks.

Barry smiled because he was waiting for this. "I'm so glad you came past. The party is postponed. I'll give you a later date for it. Iris and I have something important to do." He says and loved seeing the look of disappointment cover Eddie's face.

Eddie takes this time to walk in Barry's lab. "Damn. I was really looking forward to seeing Iris again. I am so glad you brought her to the ball." He says and then sits down in the chair opposite Barry's desk.

Barry chuckled. "Is that so?" He asks, feigning knowledge of that.

"Yeah." Eddie answers and gets a weird look on his face. "You're in to her, aren't you?" He asks.

Barry deadpans Eddie "What? No." He states matter of factly.

"Good. More for me." Eddie says and just stares at Barry. "I really don't see how you can be just friends with her. There's no way I could sleep in the bed with her and not touch her. I tip my hat to you on that one." Eddie says surely.

Barry almost got up and hit him. "Easy. I look at her like she's a person and not just somebody I want to stick my penis in. " Barry says in a condescending tone.

“Christ, Allen. Lighten up. I didn’t say anything like that.”

“Iris is really special to me and I’d appreciate it if you respected that and her.”

"I will do that. Can you give me her number? She told me to get it from you." Eddie says.

"No, she didn't." Barry says.

“She did. She told me to get her number and details about the party from you.”

“I will do that when I confirm that with her. Fair enough?”

“Sure, Allen.” Eddie says. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

"What did she say about me?" Eddie questions.

"Nothing I can repeat." Barry says and smiles.

"What did you say about me?" Eddie questions again.

"Nothing. Iris and I don't talk about you. We have better things to do with our time. Do you really think I sit around talking about you when I have a woman who looks like Iris in front of me?" Barry says to taunt Eddie this time and make him wonder what he means.

"Still claiming you're not in to her, Barry?" He asks.

"I'll keep you updated on that date change for the party." Barry says and completely dismisses Eddie. If it weren't for Iris saying she wanted him to see that they were together, he would have told him right then and there.

Eddie smiles and stands. "Tell Iris I asked about her." He says and then leaves.

Barry just smiled thinking he would tell her when she was practically naked, sitting in his lap.

 

* * *

 

Iris made her way home still happy and giddy about Barry. She was really falling in love with him. She loved this man all her life and now she was falling in love with him. It felt good to fall for her best friend. It was becoming less and less weird. She took out her plans for dinner to thaw out and headed to her bedroom to shower and change before she started to study and work on the paper she had to turn in. She couldn't wait for Barry to get home. She missed him. She missed her boyfriend.

She just undressed and started to study first. She had the feeling to shower with Barry when he got home. Or maybe she would surprise him while he was in it and go in there with him. She could do what she wanted. She had a good study session and started on her paper. She did a solid one thousand words before she decided to go ahead and take her shower. She wouldn't exactly be showering if she joined Barry anyway. She thought of him as she was showering and it caused her legs to jerk a little in the shower. She couldn't wait for Barry to get home. She thought about the second and third round of him tasting her and she got a little weak. She had about a good 5 orgasms until she had to push his head away.

She started thinking of how long it would take before she's ready to take that huge next step. She wished she had seen it earlier so that she didn't have to waste her time with some of the fools she dealt with. She wondered when they would tell Francine and Nora. Francine and Nora would be happy for them too. Nora and Francine were best friends so that would just enhance their friendship if they became in-laws together and then grandmothers. Iris was thinking years ahead and needed to stop. She wondered what would happen if she and Barry broke up. Where would that leave us? People get together every day hoping they'll stay together forever, so what makes us different? Will our relationship last? Iris thought about for a long time and she really hoped so. Barry meant a lot to her. Too much. Well, not too much. But her life wouldn't make sense without him in it. She knew he felt the same way.

Iris left the shower and dressed in a skimpy pair of shorts and a tank. She wanted as little clothes on as possible for when her man came home. She blushed at the thought. She went out to the kitchen to start dinner. She put the pork loin roast in the oven and went over to the couch to aimlessly watch tv and wait for Barry to come home. Pretty soon, Barry walked through the door with something behind his back.

"Hi, Iris." Barry says as he smiles and shuts the door.

"Hi, Barry." Iris says and starts blushing. She wonders what Barry is hiding. "What's behind your back?" She asks.

He just walks over to her and bows downs and pulls a bag from behind his back. "For you, my lady." He says and smiles.

Iris starts grinning. "What's this?" She asks as she takes the bag. She digs in it and finds a box. She opens it and sees a diamond bracelet. "What's this for?"

"You said I never gave you diamonds." He says and then smiles.

Iris pretty much jumped off the couch and into his arms. "Thank you. I love it. But this isn't a bribe, is it?" Iris jokes.

"It could be. I might bribe you to stay mine forever." He says.

"Barry, I'll still be around when we're both 95 and you're sitting in the wheelchair you would have been in if you got that motorcycle." Iris says.

"Good. You can sit on my lap when I drive around." Barry replies and they sit on the couch. "Dinner smells great."

"Thanks.”

“Do we have enough time for a quickie?” Barry asks.

“So the bracelet was a bribe?”

“Of course not. Would I do a thing like that?”

“I don’t know Bear. You’ve been surprising me a lot lately.”

“Can’t help it.”

"Fine. But I only have time to kiss you for five minutes before I go and check the food." Iris says and starts to deeply kiss him.

 

* * *

 

Iris was driving along from school to her shift at Jitters the next day with Barry on her mind. She felt lovely and free. She stopped at a red light and started to reminisce. She heard someone honking their horn and she looked up thinking she had missed the light turning green. It was still red so she looked around. She saw one of her former friends, Scott. She didn't want to run into him at all. She had been ducking his calls and texts for weeks. She and Scott had actually started out great. He was in her Criminology class. He was really good in the class, and she decided to pick his brain about a difficult part in the syllabus. She asked him for coffee at Jitters. He started rambling when they got there and she realized that he thought it was a date. When she explained what it really was, he got embarrassed and left. Iris felt horrible.

She apologized to him when she saw him at class the next day and realized that he was kinda cute and decided to give him a chance after all.

They went on several dates and he came over several times. He instantly had a problem with Barry and Iris really had to talk him down about it. They got closer and slept together. He asked her to be his girlfriend and Iris couldn’t put her finger on why she didn’t want that. She liked Scott. He was handsome, they had a good time together, the sex was great, she just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

She went out with him on a double date with Linda and the guy Ray she was seeing. Linda had to ruin everything when she and Iris went to the ladies’ room and she told her that Scott looked like her father Joe. She actually said that he looked like a younger version of him, and asked her if that’s why she was dating him because he reminded her of her father and girls sometimes liked guys like their fathers. That totally destroyed things in Iris’ eyes because now every time she looked at Scott, she saw her father and that wasn’t a good thing to her. She couldn’t bring herself to kiss, and really couldn’t sleep with him anymore. That was a done deal.

So she started pulling away and ignoring him because she really couldn’t tell him that he looked too much like her father and it creeped her out. She was happy that he was an upperclassman and graduated before she did so she didn’t have to see him at school. That was months ago and she figured he should have gotten the message by now. But she figured she was wrong.

She waved and partly smiled. She hoped he got the message. He gave her the signal to roll her window down. She obliged, though she really didn't want to.

"Hey, Iris. I've been trying to reach you. Could you pull over?" He asks sincerely.

Iris decided to get the inevitable over with and pull over. Maybe he would stop calling and texting her. "Sure. Follow me." She says. The light turns green and she goes through it. She finds the parking lot of a restaurant and pulls in. She wasn't getting out but she waited for him to.

She saw him get out of his car and had to admit that he looked good, and that almost sickened her after Linda pointed out his striking resemblance to Joe. He walked up to her window and leaned down. "Hey, it's so good running into you. How are you? You are a hard woman to get in touch with." He says.

"I've been busy. I'm busy with school, you know that." Iris says.

"Ok. What are you doing out and about now?”

“Nothing much. Just coming from school and on my way to work.”

"Great. We can get together soon. We haven't really had a chance to catch up." He says and smiles.

“As long as you realize it’ll just be as friends, we can.”

He looked wounded. “Why?”

"I have a boyfriend now, Scott." Iris says.

"A boyfriend? Who is he? Let me guess, Barry. Right?"

"Yeah, you're right. It is Barry." Iris says and just looks at him.

Scott chuckles. "I should have known. I did know. I knew you two weren't just friends. You were hooking up with him the whole time, weren't you?" He fires his accusations.

Iris sighs. "No, I was not. It just happened." She says. She feels no need to apologize because she did nothing wrong.

"Is that the reason why you pulled away from me and started canceling dates and ignoring me?”

Iris wondered if she should tell him the truth. She guessed that honesty was the best policy. “Ok, you have to promise not to get upset.”

He smiled. “I promise.”

“You remember my friend Linda? The one we had that double date with that one time?”

“Yeah, I remember her.”

“Well, she kind of told me that you look like my father, and I realized she was right. It started to creep me out.”

“What?”

“Yeah. You actually look like he did at this age. You look like you can be his son.”

“That is the first time I’ve ever had a woman tell me I looked like her father.”

“I know girls are sometimes Daddy’s girls and I was one until he died, and I would love to have a man like my father. He was an excellent father and husband. But I just don’t want to date someone that’s almost his twin. I’m sorry.”

Scott chuckled. “It’s ok, Iris. I get it. It makes perfect sense. Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Is that why you got with Barry?”

Iris chuckled this time. “Barry and I just kind of happened. We really were just friends though. I know we were probably oblivious to acting like we were a couple, but nothing sinister was going on when we were seeing each other.”

“I know. You’re a classy, loyal, and honorable woman. I really like that about you. Despite you being gorgeous.”

“Thanks, Scott. You’re not too bad yourself.”

“Tell Barry I said he’s a lucky guy.” He says before he smiles at her and walks away.

Iris smiled and started her car back up, happy that her ending with Scott wasn’t hostile like Barry’s was with Becky.

* * *

 

Barry was looking at some slides when he heard a tap on his lab door. He looked up and was disappointed to see Patty at his door. She couldn't help but feel awful at the look on his face. He didn't look happy to see her at all. "Hey, Patty. What can I do for you?" He asks, disappointment still evident on his face.

"Can I come in? I just wanted to talk to you in private." She says and smiles anyway, despite his cold demeanor.

Barry hesitated but realized that it could be about work, so he relents. "Sure." He says and waves her in.

Patty sat down at the chair in front of his desk and just kind of smiled at him awkwardly. Barry started to get a bad feeling and wondered what she wanted. She changed her smile from awkward to sexy. Barry wasn't in the mood and wanted to put her out. He wondered what the hell she was up to. "How are you, Barry?" She asks and crossed her legs.

Barry kept his face stoic at first. Then just by the thought of Iris, his facial features came alive. "I'm great. I've never been better. Thank you for asking. How are you?" He asks just to be cordial.

She gave him that sexy smile again and put her hands on her knee and clasped them. "I'm good, but I could be better." She says and stares at him.

"Oh. What's wrong?" Barry asks again just to be cordial.

"I saw Eddie leave your lab yesterday." She says and smiles.

"Ok?" Barry asks, wondering what she's getting at.

“He told me about the party that you’re having. And I wanted to know if I was invited.”

Shit, Barry thought. “Of course. The more the merrier.”

“Thanks. It was nice how he got a little excited talking about your friend and how he wanted to see her again. At first I was confused, because you introduced her to us as your girlfriend.”

Barry really did get a bad feeling. He wanted to punch Eddie for running is big mouth. Now he’s caught between telling her the truth and ruining Eddie finding out the way they planned, and telling Patty he lied and risk having her hit on him some more. “I always introduce her like that. She’s a girl, and she’s my friend.”

“So, you don’t have a girlfriend?”

Barry wanted to curse. “Yes, I do.”

Patty wasn’t at all subtle in showing her disappointment in hearing that. “How long have you two been together?”

He knew he couldn’t tell her about 20 years. How would that sound? “Um, about a week.”

“A week? Wow.”

“Yeah. A pretty new relationship.”

Patty then got excited again thinking that a relationship that’s only a week old, had the potential to end. “That’s great. Will she be at the party? I’d love to meet her.”

“Yes, she’ll be there. The theme is a Toga party. You may bring a guest if you like.” Barry says as a way to end the conversation and dismiss her.

“Great. I’ll do that.” She stood and walked towards the lab door. “I’ll see you later, Barry.”

Barry just shook his head and went back to what he was working on. Then he just had the sudden urge to be with Iris. Just talking about her did that to him. He sent her a text that said:

**Be naked when I get home.**

 

* * *

 

Iris returned home from her little surprise talk with Scott, along with her shift at Jitters and felt great. It was nice to hear that her ex was happy for them. She loved how happy being with him made her.

She was having a ball with her new boyfriend. She had never had that much fun with a boyfriend before. It was like all the fun things she did with Barry throughout their 20-year friendship just carried over to their new romance. They had more than a relationship. They had a friendmance. Iris laughed at the thought. "That isn't even a word." She said out loud.

She walked into her bedroom to undress and decided to do a few loads of laundry. She threw on cleaning and laundry wear and grabbed her laundry basket. She took it to their small laundry room right off the kitchen and beside their guest bathroom. She went to get Barry's out of his room. She stopped and saw the framed picture of her and him at Coast City playing poker. She had her fingers pinching his cheek and he was making a funny face. She remembered how much fun they had and thought that they'd have a poker night that night. So she wouldn't be naked when he got home. Just the opposite. She would throw on layers of clothes so that they could play strip poker. That sounded like a lot of fun to her.

Barry came home and didn't see Iris sitting on the couch and wondered where she was. He sat on the couch and turned on the tv. She came out wearing a fancy get-up. He could tell she had on a lot of clothes, he didn't know why though. He assumed that she wasn't just cold because it wasn't that cold outside or inside of their apartment. "Hey Iris. Are you cold?" He asks.

She comes over to sit on the couch next to him and turned to him and smiled. "Hey, Barry. Nope. I'm not cold at all." She says and grins at him.

"You're not cold? Then why are you dressed like that?" He wonders.

"I thought we'd play strip poker tonight. And since you said that you let me win, I thought I'd come prepared." Iris says and smiles widely.

"That is not how you play strip poker, Iris Ann West." Barry says.

"It's how I play strip poker, Bartholomew Henry Allen. What you don't want to play?" She asks.

"Hell yes I want to play. Do you think I'm an idiot?" He asks.

"I ran into Scott today. He told me to tell you that you’re a lucky guy." Iris says.

“He’s right. I am a lucky guy. Even though I’m glad you did, why did you stop seeing him?”

Iris sighed. “Because Linda pointed out that he looks like my father. I couldn’t unsee that and it was weird being with him after that.”

Barry thought about that and took the time to laugh. “He does look like Joe.” He laughed some more.

Iris slides closer and puts her head in his lap. She looked up at him and poked out her bottom lip. "Are you teasing me?" She asks and pouts again.

Barry is a sucker for that face. "Nope. Why would I do a thing like that?" He asks. "So about this game that we're going to play. What are the stakes?" Barry wonders.

"The first person to get naked has to do whatever the winner wants." She says and smiles up at him.

"That's why you have all those clothes on. You know I'm going to win. This is going to be good." He says and grins profusely.

"Don't start cheering yet. I'm going to win despite you thinking that you will." She says and laughs.

"Iris, I'm going to slaughter you." He leaned forward to peck her nose. "I'm going to go and take a shower. I can't wait to play this game." Barry says in an excited tone.

Iris sits up and looks at him and just loves his enthusiasm. "Enjoy your shower." Iris says in her own enthusiastic tone. She gets up from the sofa to go into the kitchen to make their sandwiches. Once she's standing, she felt a firm squeeze on her ass.

"What was that for?" Iris asks as she giggles and turned around and playfully slap his hand.

Barry smirked before he responded. "I'm sorry I couldn't help myself." He grins at her widely.

"Well I hope you learn some self-control. Preferably in the next couple of hours. You're going to lose that game and lose big." She says and grins at him.

"I can and I’m going to win this. You just wait and see." He says. He gets up from the couch and walks toward his bedroom while Iris heads for the kitchen.

Barry went into his shower and was excited to start their game. He was loving how fun his relationship with Iris was. He knew she was fun, but he was having the time of his life with her. He couldn't wait to see what else would happen. He liked and loved Iris and only her and was glad that other people could see it. He loved that more than anything. He was falling in love with his best friend. She already loved him and he already loved her. He came home to her and just that made him happier. He was the happiest man on the planet. He had the best girlfriend and best friend on the planet. Flashes of their earlier activities danced in his mind. He got aroused thinking about it.

He finished up and only put on a tee-shirt and boxers. He came out of the room with a huge grin on his face. Iris took in his appearance and laughed out loud. "Wow, poker makes you cocky." Iris states and grins at the man she has become increasingly fond of.

Barry chuckled. "Just because I’m not wearing multiple layers of clothing, doesn’t mean I’m cocky. It's confident. I'm confident. There's a difference. Ready to get crushed?" He asks.

Iris walks over to him and slides her hand in his boxers. She stroked the tip of his penis. "I think you're a little too cocky for my liking." Iris says as she continues to stroke.

"I say you're a little too dressed for my liking." Barry counters. "If you were so sure you were going to win; you wouldn't have on enough layers to sustain winter." He states, challenging her to take all those damn clothes off.

"Alright, Bear. You're on." Iris says as she removes her hand from his boxers and starts taking off her many layers of clothes. "Happy now?" She asks as soon as she's as undressed as she's prepared to go.

Barry looks at her. "Not really. I want you to take everything below the waist off." He says and smirks at her.

Iris laughs. "Nope. I'm not doing that." She says surely.

Barry smirks again. "You're going to want to do that." He reaffirms.

"Why?" Iris asks.

"Because I want you to sit on my face.” Barry says and smiles widely at her reaction.

Barry continued to stare at Iris and the expression on her face. He knew that he had gotten to her once again with one of his requests. He loved stumping her and asking for things that came way out of left field. The good and fun thing about it was that Iris was always game for whatever he suggested. Even when they were kids, she was adventurous. She would do things that other girls and even boys wouldn't do. That really increased their bond as best friends. Even when she helped Barry put frogs into Mrs. Evans’ desk at school. Everyone else thought frogs were gross and wouldn't touch them, but Iris was eager to help her best friend.

Iris looked at him with a bewildered expression on her face. Where does he come up with these things? Iris thought. She thought it was crazy as hell, but she liked it. She really liked it. She really liked him.

"So, you don't want to play strip poker." Iris says and stares at him.

"I do. Why would I turn down playing strip poker with you? Why would I forfeit you having to do what I say once you're naked and I win? Why would I do anything that stupid?" Barry asks almost incredulously.

"Well, I'm assuming that you don't want to play because you're asking me to get naked beforehand.”

“I was just putting that out there. I thought you’d want to.”

"Can I think about it while we're playing?" She asks, knowing full well she's going to do it.

"Sure. Are you ready to lose? Because I'm not letting you win this time. You are totally on your own. No more asking me if you're winning. You got that, Ms. West?" Barry asks and walks towards her and pulls her in his arms.

"Yes. I got that, Mr. Allen. I have to finish these sandwiches, and then it's game time." She says and pecks him on the lips and goes to the kitchen counter.

"I'll set everything up for the game." Barry says.

"Don't touch those cards or chips, I will check." Iris says.

"Where am I going to hide anything? I'm wearing next to nothing. You have on several outfits. I should check you." Barry says.

"You just want to feel on my body, and you know it." She says and sticks her tongue out at him.

Barry stopped what he was doing and stared for a moment. Her sticking her tongue out at him is something she has done since they were 5. Only recently did it become erotic and a huge turn on to Barry. It really was after what occurred between them a few times before. Barry was falling deeper and deeper for Iris. There wasn't a thing that he didn't like about her. She was perfect to him. That didn't seem weird to him at all. Lots of people look at the significant other as perfect, even though they aren't because no one is. But Barry had known Iris his entire life. He considered it his entire life because no one really remembers their life before at least the age of 4. He had known her since he was 5. That was his entire life.

They had both went through the most difficult and worse times in their lives together. They had both lost their fathers and that was hard. Losing a parent is hard, but they each had each other to go through with it. Barry also helped her mother too. Especially around the house. He started doing that when Joe got sick and couldn't do those things any more. He made sure to help Francine out because that was his mother's best friend and his best friend's mother. He loved Francine like an aunt. He especially loved her cooking. He was now grateful that that had rubbed off on Iris because she was a terrific cook as well. Barry would do things without even being told. He would just come over and mow the lawn and shovel the snow when needed. He would take the trash out when he was over their house and wash Francine's car. He continued to do that until he went away to college.

Iris really was his rock when his father died. Barry went a little off the deep end when Henry died. Iris was there to pick him up. She stood by his side because Barry didn't have any siblings to help him with the grief, but he had Iris. She always made sure to not let him think too long and found ways to make him laugh and keep him occupied. She spent lots of time at the house and essentially lived there right after he died. That was over ten years ago for both of them and they both remembered and appreciated what the other did to help out. Barry knew that he and Iris would always be friends because of that.

"Ah, you got me. I do just want to feel on your body. It is a constant challenge for me to keep my hands off you." He says as he walks toward her and intertwines her fingers with his.

"I thought I told you that you need to practice some self-control. About a half an hour ago I told you that. It's amazing how you went from zero to one thousand in a matter of days. You used to be able to keep your hands off me." She says and grins.

"It's inevitable now. I've fallen for you. You were just my best friend a week ago."

Iris grins wider. "Yeah. A week ago you were in my room and I mistakenly became naked in front of you. You haven't been right since." She says though if she's being honest, she hasn't been right since she saw him standing in the kitchen in that suit. Him putting his head in her lap really did her in. Now they were a couple. Who would have thought?

"You know, in my defense, I didn't intend to see you naked when I came into your room. I was just trying to get that Nair before you put it in my shampoo but you caught me. I was just trying to tease you about it. And then it happened, and you're right, I haven't been right since. Now I feel like I wish I had seen you naked earlier." Barry confesses.

Iris thinks about it for a few seconds and can kind of agree. Then she thinks of something else. "Can you imagine how awkward it would have been if that happened when we were teens? Like during one of our sleepovers or something? Do you think it would have ruined our friendship?" Iris asks with an almost worried expression on her face.

Barry thinks as well. "It could have. It might have. We weren't mature enough to handle it then. Now we are. I think things happened the way that they were supposed to." Barry states.

"I thought that too. I think everything happened for a reason." Iris says and gazes into his eyes.

"Including your little melt down slash rant about my awful taste in women?" Barry asks and then looks at her with a straight face, but fails and smiles at her.

"I did not have a melt down or rant about your awful taste in women. But you said it, not me." Iris says to her defense.

"But you did say it, Iris. You did." Barry says to tease her.

"Whatever. You chose those women, not me." Iris says again to her defense.

"I chose you too." He says and stares at her longingly.

"You chose wisely. Glad you finally came to your senses." Iris says.

"I did. I chose perfectly." He says sincerely.

"And now you can't go backwards." Iris says and smiles, totally putting her dimple on display.

"You're right. I can't go backwards." Barry says. "I had a talk with Patty today."

Iris frowned. "What'd she say?" She asks almost harshly.

“You probably won’t believe it.”

Iris thinks for a moment. "Did she flirt with you?" She asks and then eyes him carefully.

Barry hesitates and realizes that it's pointless to lie. "Yeah, she did. Said Eddie told her about the party and that you and I were just friends. I had to invite her to the party.” He says almost in disgust. He really doesn't want anything to do with Patty, even if it's work related.

“Well, I guess she’ll get a shock too at the party.”

“I guess she will. Maybe that will push her towards Eddie. They’d make a cute couple.”

“Yes. Barbie and Ken would make a cute couple.” Iris says and smiles wide.

“Barbie and Ken. That’s cute.”

“Of course it is, Bear.” Then she thinks. “When should we tell our moms? Should we wait with them too?”

"No, I don't think we should wait with them. Maybe we can invite them over for Sunday dinner?" Barry offers as a suggestion.

"That sounds like a plan. Are you sure they aren't going to suspect anything?" Iris asks as she thinks. "I know. I'll tell my mom that I'm dying for a special dish she makes. She'll offer to bring it over. Your mom will just tag along by default." Iris says.

"That sounds like a plan. Now can we just get back to what we were doing? I'm getting anxious." Barry says and then grins.

Iris finally breaks away from the embrace that they're in. She goes back to fixing the sandwiches. "Self-control, Barry. Self-control. I'm not going anywhere." She says and smiles.

"I can't help that I want to touch and do things with my new girlfriend all the time. That's what people do in new relationships. You shouldn't be this hot." Barry says in a playful tone.

"You do know that you're hot too." She says and smiles and then goes back to making their sandwiches.

"Thanks babe." He says and opens his beer. He settles on a stool and just becomes mesmerized with watching Iris. He loved how she made sure she showed him just how much she cared about him with the big and small things that she did. He considered her cooking for him a big thing. She made sure he ate all the time, even if she didn't feel like cooking. She would cook for him and always make sure that he ate right. He remembered when he got sick and she fixed him soup and fed it to him. She even laid in the bed with him and took his temperature and gave him medicine. He should have realized then that she was the perfect woman for him. His blindness made him feel stupid. He was feeling a little nostalgic and was on the verge of saying things he meant, but wasn't sure how Iris felt.

Iris looked up when she was done. "I'm finally finished. That seemed to take longer than it should have." She says and looks over at Barry. He seems to be somewhere else. She wonders what's wrong with him. She stares at him a bit more before speaking. "Are you ok, Bear? You seem to be somewhere else." Iris wonders.

Barry breaks from his mini trance. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking of something. It's nothing serious." He says and smiles.

"You sure?" She asks just to be clear.

"Absolutely. I was just thinking about you. That's all." Barry replies and smiles.

Iris smiles at hearing that. It made her heart flutter. She was falling deeper and deeper. She already loved Barry with everything in her for being her friend and for all he has done for her. He looked out for her like nobody else did. Her mom was great and she loved her dearly, but what she did for her she felt like that's what good parents do for their children. Barry was just her friend and he gave her priceless gifts and asked for nothing in return. She should have fallen in love with Barry a long time ago.

Barry looked on at the expression and the conversation she seemed to have with herself. He realized that she was probably thinking the things that he was just thinking. It made him get that feeling in the pit of his stomach again.

"Are you ok? It seems like you just went somewhere else." Barry says and eyes her wistfully.

"I just got a little lost thinking about you too." Iris says and then smiles. "Are we ready to play? You are ready to lose though, aren't you?" She asks.

"Yes. Because I'm not going to lose. You are. You are great at a lot of things, but beating me in poker isn't one of them." Barry says.

"You made your point about that a long time ago. Just shut up and deal." She says as they sit at the island with their sandwiches and snacks.

"What are we playing? Heads up?" Barry asks as he shuffles the cards.

"Of course. There's only two of us." She says.

Barry easily won the first hand with a straight flush. Iris removed one pair of pajama pants. It was still early; she wasn't worried at all. They were having a lot of fun playing poker. They played it more times than they could count. This was the first time they played strip poker. This seemed like more fun to them. Barry won the second hand with a full house. Iris took off her shirt and rolled her eyes at Barry. He won the third hand with another full house. Iris took off another shirt and was starting to hate Barry for winning every hand.

"Are you ready to quit now? That way you can save a little bit of face." Barry taunts as he collects the cards to shuffle them.

Iris frowned at his teasing and smack talk. "No, I'm not ready to quit. You just shut up and deal. It's not over yet." She says and makes a face at him.

Barry dealt and Iris finally won a hand with three of a kind. All queens. She loved that. "Did you just see me win with three queens? Queen Iris West beat you with three queens. Hell yeah." Iris says happily.

Barry took off hit tee-shirt, revealing a tank top under it. Iris just stared at him. "What? You had on 50 shirts and I can't wear two?" He asks incredulously.

"I did not have on 50 shirts. It's ok, Bear. I know you're cheating somehow." Iris jokes.

"I'm not cheating. I'm just that good. I can't help that." He says.

Iris shuffles the cards so that she can deal. After that, it was all downhill from there for her. Barry completely annihilated her and won with another full house, 3 straights, and his own three of a kind. Iris was down to just her panties. She knew it was over for her. And it was when Barry pulled out a four of a kind that left her completely naked. Barry felt like a king himself when he won with his four kings.

"Alright. You won. What do I have to do?" She asks though she's eager to start their sexy activities. Barry was looking kind of hot in his tank top.

"Go and get in my bed while I straighten up." He says. He stared at her and it made her vagina quiver. He gave her that look right before she almost ripped her pillow apart with her bare hands.

"Yes, my king." She says and then walks away. He couldn't help but watch her retreat to his bedroom. He really liked her calling him her king. It made something stir inside of him. Iris was invading his thoughts and making him feel like he never felt before in his life. He just simply loved this moment in his life and she was the reason for it.

He quickly finished up in the kitchen, turned everything off, and locked up before retreating to his bedroom where Iris was waiting for him. He loved the feeling he got when he walked into his bedroom and saw Iris in his bed. That's the first time she has been in his bed like that, just waiting for him. He took in her exquisite naked form and hoped he could savor the moment and the erection that he was getting just from looking at her and the things that he wanted to do.

Iris smiled and blushed when she saw him enter his room and just look at her with that look in his eyes. She felt totally free and excited with anticipation. She wondered what he had planned. She thought about it the whole time she was laying in his bed. It felt not at all weird laying in Barry's bed completely naked and waiting for him. All of their activities occurred in her bedroom but now they were going into unchartered territory. Iris got the feeling that things would be different because they were in his bed and that's where he could really branch out and handle things like the hot, sexy, and gorgeous man that he was.

Barry just stood there and watched her for a moment with a sexy grin on his face. Iris got butterflies. It was almost like he was undressing her with his eyes, but she was already naked. She could tell he was thinking about something. "What?" She asks a little sheepishly.

"Nothing. Just getting used to you being in my bed without any clothes on, that's all. Are you ready, my queen?" Barry asks seductively."

"Yes." Iris answered without hesitation. She loved him calling her his queen; it made her feel royal. Barry had a way of making her feel like she was wrapped in diamonds. She was more than ready for whatever it was that Barry had planned. She just hoped that he didn't ask her to do something outrageous and she'd have to cuss him out and go back to her own room.

Barry quickly took off his tank and then his boxers. Iris couldn't wait to get her hands on that erection. It was calling her; begging her to touch and kiss it. Iris noticed that he had that same, 'I'm thinking about something' look on his face. She could read Barry like a book and knew he was thinking about something and holding something back. He spoke before she asked him what he was thinking and seemed reluctant to ask her. "You do remember the rules to our strip poker game, correct?" He asks.

"Of course I remember. It was my idea. What are you getting at, Barry?" She wonders. _What the hell is he thinking about asking me to do?_

"I want to record this. Will you let me make a video out of my win?" She could tell by his voice that he was trying to ease her into agreeing. The way he asked her made it impossible for her to say no.

"What?" Iris asked to buy time. _Should I let him record me? What is he planning?_ Iris thought more. She hoped that she wasn't getting too lost in thought thinking about saying yes.

"I said that I wanted to record this. Will you let me?" Barry questions seductively. He noticed that she seemed to really be thinking about whether she would say yes or no. "You know you have to since I won and you have to do what I say." Barry states with conviction.

Iris’ inner vixen was rearing her head again and taking over. Maybe she was losing her mind, because she was all for it. _Why not?_ She thought. "This better not end up on X-Tube or Porn Hub." She jokes though she knows Barry would never do a thing like that. He's the one guy she trusts enough to not even worry about it. Barry would never disrespect her in that way.

Barry scoffed. "You know I would never do that to you. This is just for me. You too if you want to watch it." He says happily. He's ecstatic that she's agreeing to do it. He walked over to his laptop, turned it on and set it up to record their activities. He would cherish that video. He was eager and ready. Once he was finished, he turned to Iris. She felt hot at the look he was giving her. She just thought of how sexy he was and how bad she wanted him. "Turn over and get on all fours." He says in that same seductive voice.

"What?" Iris asked. _What the hell is he planning?_

"I said, turn over and get on all fours." Barry almost commanded.

The way he said it and the way his voice sounded, made Iris want to do it. She still wondered what he was planning for her, but she would worry about that in a few. She deservedly obliged and did exactly what he commanded her to do. She felt his added body weight to the bed and the heat from him getting behind her. She silently hoped that he didn't try to stick anything in her ass. That would really change and mess up things in her book. Barry's penis increased in length and girth at the sight of her ass in front of him. He took his hand and slowly started to caress her backside. He had a firm grip on her cheeks. She suddenly felt his lips on the small of her back and her ass as she felt his lips make contact with that area as well. She felt his facial hair tickle her and that caused her to get into it. She felt him give light bites to her ass and she really enjoyed that. She felt his mouth and tongue in places where she never thought his mouth and tongue would go.

Iris felt his fingers slightly part her and reach between her legs. She felt strong fingers start to rub her clitoris and that cause her to jerk some. The rubbing of her clitoris went on until she felt a finger slide into her. He moved it in and out for a few moments. "Put your head down but keep your ass up." Barry says to her and she happily complied. She jerked when she felt the first swipe of his tongue down her slit. It darted around her in a figure 8 pattern until she felt it rest on her clitoris. A few adequately timed sucks caused Iris to make a sound of decompression. The sucking continued as she reached forward grab a pillow.

Before the pillow was fully in her grasp and her face buried into it, she let out a moan that surprised even her. "Ah!" She moaned. She felt his tongue leave her clitoris and then slip inside her opening. He teased and prodded that area before returning to her sensitive nub. Licking and sucking of that area proceeded until she felt her knees jerk under her. "Oh my...oh...this...ah..." She panted. She felt his mouth pull away from her right after the first orgasm settled in.

"Turn over." Barry instructed and she did just that. She locked eyes with him and a devilish smirk appeared on his face. He leaned forward to kiss her neck, then her breasts. Iris moaned as he slowly took one of her nipples into his mouth. Her hands grabbed and caressed his head as he continued to suck on her. He devoured the second one as she raked her fingers through his hair. He kissed down her abdomen and stopped just at her pubic mound. He placed soft kisses to that area while slowly parting her legs and raising them up near her chest. He wanted total access to every area down there and she was in the perfect position for that. He licked and kissed the inside of her thighs. He took his middle finger and played with her nub until he made his tongue move around her lips. He teased and prodded her clitoris until it swelled.

"Oh my god, Barry...Please don't stop." She moaned out as she slowly started to grind against his mouth. He sucked a little harder and Iris felt the need to reach for the pillow again. Orgasm number two was coming on with force. It was quick, but served a great purpose.

Barry noticed and stopped her abruptly as he pulled his mouth away from her. "No pillow. I want to hear you scream." He says and goes back to what he was doing. She had the urge to scream out, but it got lost somewhere in the back of her throat. He changed up the intensity of sucking on her clitoris and she started to scream. Her moans seriously turned him and made him not want to stop. Iris had a forceful grip on the sheets grip as he continued to ravage her. He sucked and licked on her clit until she felt like she was going to explode. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh...my..." Iris pants out until she started to cum. Another orgasm overtook her body as she started to jerk uncontrollably. Barry pulled back totally spent but ready for more and looked at her. He grabbed her thighs and opened them further and was ready to put his head back between her legs and start to taste her again. Iris swatted at him and put up a "time out" signal. "Hold on. I need a moment. Are you ready for your turn?" She questions.

He gave her a look that bore into her. "Yes." Is all he says as he climbs from between Iris’ legs to up near the pillows where she was. Iris let out a sigh of satisfaction before she rolled over near him to kiss him deeply on the mouth. She playfully licked and nibbled on his neck and chest and then kissed her way down to his pubic bone. She placed a few kisses and rubs to his penis. She decided to try something different and angled her body so that her ass was still in his face and he was able to reach out and touch her. Barry thought that was hot and was glad that she decided to try that. "Great view." He says.

Iris doesn't say anything as she grabs his penis. She turns her head and looks up at him and smiles before she puts him into her mouth. The immediate hot and wet contact of her mouth on him almost made him slap her ass. He was completely satisfied and a little more than turned on at the feel of her mouth wrapped around him. He stuck his fingers into her opening and played with her wetness as she took as much of him into her mouth as she could and covering the rest with her hand. She used her hand to guide his penis and let it touch the back of her throat as the other one cups his balls. She continues to bob her head up and down and increases the ferocity of her mouth on his penis. She was licking, sucking, and stroking him perfectly. "Iris. Damn, Iris. " Barry moans. She takes him out of her mouth briefly as she licks along the length of his penis before returning to her previous actions by putting him back into her mouth. She releases him again and does something completely different as she took her breasts and wrapped them around his penis and bounced them up and down. She spit on his penis to make the stroking easier and cause less sensation of the extra wetness makes him jerk under her and he slid his finger deeper in to her. "Damn Iris!" Barry yells. She then starts to suck on his balls and then teased them with her tongue. She takes him back into her mouth and sucks on the head. "Iris, I'm about to cum." He says to warn her. He suddenly explodes into her mouth and she again doesn't spit it out. She didn't remove her mouth from him until she felt a smack on her ass.

Iris turned her head toward him again and smiled. "Did I do a good job?" She asks playfully as she bats her eyelashes at him.

"You did more than good. You were excellent. Come here." He says in that seductive voice again.

Iris happily complied since she was at his command. She seductively crawled towards him. Once she was fairly close, he pulled her body on top of his. She straightened herself out and Barry ran his hands through her hair to pull it out of her face. He strong-arm held her and leaned up to kiss her as he cupped her ass. "What else do you want me to do?" She asks while their lips are still pressed together.

He kissed her deeper before breaking it. "I want you to sit on my chest. I want to take some pictures." He says and his eyes are smoldering with desire.

"Pictures?" She asks.

"Yes. Pictures. I want great pictures from a great view. That way I can look at you whenever I want to." Barry retorts and reaches over on his nightstand to get his phone.

"Ok." Iris replies then she goes to sit on his chest.

"Open your legs wider." He instructs. She obliges. Barry snapped a few pictures. "Now hold your lips open for me." He instructs again.

Iris chuckled at that. "You are nasty. What is this filth you have me doing? I'm a good girl." She says and smiles at him as she does exactly what he asked her to do.

"You love how nasty I am. And you being a good girl works out because I'm a bad boy." He says and winks as he snaps a few more pictures. He put his phone back on his nightstand and focused his attention on her and not just on taking pictures of her.

Iris changed her position on his so that all her weight wasn't resting on his chest and just straddled him. She was sitting on him but felt like she was sitting on top of the world. Barry really made her happy and made her life better. She felt like he set her free. She looked at him longingly and with love in her eyes. He gave her a look that made her feel comforted. "You really make me happy, Barry. Thank you for setting us free. You gave me the push I needed." She says sincerely.

Barry felt a little tug at his heart when she said that. She made him happy as well. He just wished he had realized she was supposed to be more than his best friend a lot sooner. "You really make me happy too. Thank you for that. I'm just glad we're no longer just friends. You're still my best friend, but I'm glad that we're more than that." He expressed contentedly. He started to rub his hands along her thighs. He was getting aroused again.

"And the good thing is this doesn't feel weird at all anymore. I was a little worried about that." Iris confessed.

"This doesn't feel weird at all. It feels like it's supposed to feel." Barry looked at her with that insatiable look in his eyes. "This is going to feel how it's supposed to feel as well." He says and puts his hands around her waist and pulls her closer to his face.

She wasn't even ready for him and had to catch her breath quickly at his actions. "What are you doing, Barry?" Iris wonders though she thinks he already knows.

"What do you think I'm doing? I told you that you always make the best decisions when it comes to feeding me." Barry says and looks up at her and gives her a wink.

Iris moved closer to his face and hovered over him as she used the headboard to steady herself. She immediately felt him grab her ass and felt instant contact with her lips. He increased his grip on her ass and pulled her closer to bury his face in her pussy. He went to town licking her smooth lips. Barry changed his approach and went to hungrily feed on her clitoris. He flicked his tongue along her clitoris and she jerked from the action. Iris murmured incoherently as she continued to hover over him. She started to shake and cried out in ecstasy as she started to see stars. The orgasm overtook her and she bathed Barry's mouth with her juices. He gently slapped her ass and she unsteadily moved from his face.

Iris laid beside him panting heavily. "That was...wow...I'm speechless." She says as she comes down from her high.

Barry looked over at her and grinned. He pulled her closer to him. "You really need to start getting used to this."

Iris let out a little naughty giggle. "I'm trying to. This is the first relationship I've been in where the guy cares more about pleasing me than me pleasing him. I appreciate that." She admits.

"Well, this is the first relationship I've been in where I truly care about pleasing her and don't want her to go anywhere. I think you already know my track record with women. That's totally different with you." Barry divulged and pulled her even closer.

Iris giggles again. "I'm happy about that." She announces. "I don't want go anywhere. I'm not going anywhere."

"You're right about not going anywhere, because I'm not letting you. My life would kind of suck without you in it." Barry revealed as he started to get that feeling once again.

"I agree." Iris states.

"Are you rested up yet?" He wonders. He can't get enough of her.

"I guess so. Why? You have something else you want me to do?" Iris questions.

"Yes. I'm taking full advantage of my win and the fact that the camera is still rolling." He says as he pulls her on top of him again.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Barry and Iris awoke side by side. Iris retreated to her bedroom to get ready while Barry got ready in his. Iris got ready quickly because she was in high spirits. She literally glided through her bedroom and to the kitchen to fix them a quick breakfast. She was starving and she figured Barry was too. They had worked up quite the appetite the night before. Her evenings and nights were becoming sort of an adventure. While she loved their activities, she kind of just wanted to curl up on the sofa with Barry and watch a movie. She missed just doing that. She wanted to bring it up to Barry but hoped that he wouldn't think she was tired of what they were doing. She was readily thinking about that when Barry came out of his bedroom while she was taking English muffins out of the toaster.

She turned to Barry and felt her heart flutter and got butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't help how he made her feel. "I hope this is ok for breakfast." Iris says as she puts the English muffins, eggs, and Canadian bacon on plates.

"That's fine. Thanks for cooking." He says and goes to get juice from the fridge. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

They settled into eating their breakfast and she noticed that Barry wanted to say something to her. "What?" She asks.

"What do you mean, what?" He fires back.

"I know you want to say something to me. So what is it?" She asks.

Barry just looked at her for a moment. He had to remember that Iris knew him better than anybody else in the world did. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I feel like we should take a night off. I know we just got together, but I'd like to do what we did before we got together. You know, when we would just lounge on the sofa and watch a movie together? I miss doing that with you." He says and waits for her reaction.

Iris burst out laughing. "It's really funny that you say that, because that's what I was thinking when I was cooking. I love what we've been doing, but I miss that too. I was trying to figure out a way to tell you without it sounding wrong." She confesses.

He gave her a smile. "Good. Movie night it is tonight. I want to watch something scary."

"Me too." Iris replies.

They finished up their breakfast, loaded the dishwasher and headed out their door. They both stopped abruptly when they were outside their apartment.

 

* * *

 

Iris looked over at Barry who seemed to be stunned speechless. He probably couldn't believe what he was looking at. Iris figured that was it because she couldn't believe it either. Spray painted and written on the wall and their door were some pretty foul words: slut, tramp, prick, whore, asshole, nympho, bitch, hoe, bastard, homewrecker, dick, fucker, cheater, liar. A whole assortment of things. Whoever wrote it seemed to really be upset with Barry, Iris or both of them. Barry was in a daze, but Iris knew he was upset. She was too.

Iris finally spoke. "Who do you think did this?" She asks, though she has an idea of who she thinks did it.

"My money is on Becky." He says and looks over at Iris after finally taking his eyes off of the salacious graffiti written on the wall and door. "Please don't say, 'I told you so'." He says a little sadly.

"I wasn't going to say a thing like that. It's not your fault she's fucking nuts and bitter that you broke up with her." Iris says.

Barry scoffed. "We weren't even together for me to break up with her." He says and almost wants to punch the wall. "I'm sorry, Iris."

"You don't have to apologize. I know you didn't do it. I think this message is for both of us though." She says when she finally sees it. She can't believe her eyes as she looks at the statement, 'I heard you fucking' written crudely among the other harsh words. "Do you see that? What did she do? Stand at the door and listen?" Iris inquires incredulously.

"I guess she did. I knew she was upset, but I didn't think she was this crazy." Barry states and wonders what made her become this unhinged and irrational. He gets that he hit her way out of left field with his confession, but this is just insane.

"What are we going to do about it?" Iris wonders. She has to go to school. She doesn't have time for the foolishness of Barry's crazy ass "ex".

"I'll take care of it. You need to go to school. I can miss a day of work." Barry says. He's seriously mad as hell, but he's masking his anger for Iris’ sake.

"Are you sure?" Iris wonders.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll take care of it." He says. He really wants Iris to leave before he explodes. She has seen him angry, but he is livid. He wished that he had known a lot sooner just how unbalanced Becky really was. He had little signs here and there in hindsight, that now made sense. He knew she was the one that did it. There wasn't a doubt in his mind.

"I can tell how upset you are. I think you should call the cops. She might try this again." Iris says. She's already mentally beating Becky's ass, but she can't jeopardize getting arrested and fucking up her law career before it even starts.

Barry sighed out of frustration and just looked at Iris. "Call the cops?" He asks. He didn't even think of that. He really didn’t want people at CCPD to know about this.

"Yes, Barry. Call the cops. She's crazy. She might try this shit again. To protect both of us. I'm going to grad school for this, remember? I know what I'm talking about." Iris says surely.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm calling them now." He says and takes out his phone.

Iris has the sudden thought to go and check their cars. She just got a bad feeling. "I'm heading to the garage. I'll be right back." She says quietly while Barry is on the phone. She gets on the elevator and heads down to the parking garage. Just how she suspected, her tires were slashed. The windows were busted out and there were heavy key marks along the sides and hood of the car. Iris just looked at it in disbelief. She actually cared more about Barry's car than her own, and was happy that was untouched. However, she was quite pissed the hell off that Barry's crazy ex friend did this and completely inconvenienced her. She would have to drive Barry's other car that he rarely, if ever drove. It was his father's old Porsche that he helped restore. He really just kept it for sentimental reasons, but he would let Iris drive it. She hoped. She rode in it a few times with him, but never drove it. She took pictures of both cars and went back to the apartment. Barry was inside now and she didn't know how to tell him that her car was really messed up. Despite what was going on, he smiled at her when she walked through the door.

"They said the cops should be here soon." Barry says.

"Good." She walks over and sits next to him on the sofa and grabbed his hand. "Want some more bad news?" Iris asks hesitantly.

Barry sighed and lowered his head. "What did she do to your car?" He asks. He already knows that's what happened. Iris just found the pictures on her phone and gave it to Barry. He scrolled through with his thumb with force. "Fuck." He says in defeat. He just really sees Iris’ car and what she did to it and curses again. "I guess it's a good thing that she doesn't know the Porsche is mine. I would have to kill her for messing that up." Barry says and is extremely glad that he keeps his car parked in his neighbor's spot because they are true New Yorkers that don't drive. Even though it's just a car, it means the world to him because it was his father's.

"I know. I know how much that car means to you." Iris says as she rubs his hand with her thumb.

"I'm sorry, Iris. I'll take care of it. I'll have your car towed and taken care of immediately." He says and tries to put visions of him wrapping something around Becky's neck as payback out of his mind. He knew he could never hurt a woman, not even her, but he thought about it.

"Great, but you don't have to apologize. It's not your fault." Iris gets another idea and takes her phone and texts her classmate Kendra to take really good notes because she wouldn't be to school that day. Her day was already ruined and she was already late. She wanted to stay and talk to the cops to see how they would handle this situation. She went back out into the hallway to take pictures of that just for herself, or if they needed them if they took her crazy ass to court. She went back to sit down next to Barry.

"They really need to hurry before they really make you late for school." Barry states.

"It's ok. I'm not going today. We can play hooky together. I texted a classmate and told her to take good notes for me. We can turn our movie night into movie day." She says happily and that instantly puts Barry in a better mood.

"That sounds like a lot of fun. That reminds me, I need to call my job and let them know I'm having an emergency and won't be in."

While Barry is on the phone there's a knock at the door. Iris went to get it and was relieved to see the cops. Barry immediately got off the phone to address them. He was happy as hell it wasn’t officers he knew from his precinct.

"Hello. We're officers Garrett and Lewis. I see you have a bit of a vandalism problem this morning." He says and pulls out his pad. "Any idea who may have done this?" He asks.

"I think it's my ex, Becky Cooper. I don't think she's too happy about me ending our relationship." Barry says glumly. "It could be someone else, but I doubt it." Barry reinforces.

"Anything missing? Did she break in here?" The tallest officer with the buzz cut asks.

"No, but she destroyed her car." Barry says.

"Can you show me that? Does this building have video surveillance?" Officer Garrett asks.

"Yes. There are cameras in the garage too." Barry answers.

"You're lucky that it does. If not, it would just be a matter of your word against hers." Officer Garrett says.

"We'll need to see if we can get a copy of that. Once we see that it was indeed her, you can start the proceedings on pressing charges if you'd like. Can one of you take me to the garage to see the other damage that occurred?" Officer Lewis says and Iris gets up to walk with him. After the officers took their own pictures, a strong suggestion to get a restraining order, and a call to the building manager to get access to the security footage, Barry put in a call to have the car towed. The maintenance man was busy painting over the mess outside their door. Barry also asked to have the old security code deleted and changed so that she couldn't get into the building any more. Had he known she was crazy and would do something that far out of control, he never would have given it to her in the first place. He was glad she didn't have a key. He never went that far with women he dated. Only he and Iris had keys.

Iris went to her bedroom to change into comfy pajamas and socks since she was staying in. She hated what went on and her car being damaged in the process, but she was glad that she and Barry could just spend a lazy day on the couch like they sometimes did on the weekend. The only difference was now they were in a relationship. That just meant they could get closer than they usually did. She smiled at the thought. She went back to the living room and Barry wasn't there. She just sat on the couch and searched for a movie for them to watch. While she was searching, her phone went off alerting her of a text. Kendra let her know that she would take really good notes and text her with any assignments.

He came out of his room wearing sweat pants and a tee-shirt. He sat next to Iris on the couch and leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." He says sincerely.

"For what?" Iris wonders as she glances at him.

"For not blowing a gasket over the shit Becky did. I'm the reason she did that, but I'm glad that you don't blame me." He replies sincerely.

"No, I don't blame you. It's not your fault she's crazy. Hopefully, she doesn't try anything again because Bitch Iris will blow a gasket. And not at you, but Becky should really watch out for her." Iris says and just smiles widely at Barry.

Barry smiled at her and hoped that Becky wouldn't be stupid enough to do something else to their stuff. He's glad Iris talked him into calling the cops because he was just going to go and scare the hell out of her. He realized that he was glad he saw what she was capable of and that she was gone from his life. He wished he had never gotten involved with her. Iris was right about his terrible choice in women. Except for her. He felt that same feeling in his stomach again. "What kind of movie do you have in mind? Nothing sappy, please." He says and slides closer to her.

"Actually, I want to watch something action packed. Like The Avengers or something. I changed my mind about something scary. How does that sound to you?" She asks.

"That sounds perfect." Barry answers and gets comfortable. Iris does the same as they settle under the blanket to start their movie day. They stuck to their plan of just lounging and hanging out like friends like they used to. They did wind up on the sofa spooning, but it didn't go any further than that. They just cuddled, watched movies, and snacked. They made it a completely action filled movie day by watching, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, X-Men: Days of Future Past,Transformers:Age of Extinction and Guardians of the Galaxy. They really enjoyed themselves just like old times. They ordered pizza and didn't even wind up fooling around. They knew that no one could ever say their relationship was based on sexual and physical attraction. They were just doing what most adults did when they got into a new relationship. They knew that their relationship was built on a solid foundation of respect, trust, and a life-long friendship. They wound up in Barry's bed, sleeping like an old, but still in love married couple.

* * *

 

The following Saturday, Barry and Iris decided to sleep in. They had made it through a pretty eventful week. From their blossoming new romance, to dealing with his borderline stalkerish coworker, to having the car and their apartment door vandalized by Barry's crazy not really ex. They had irrefutable evidence that it was Becky that wrote the crude words on the door and wall and slashed the tires, busted out the windows, and keyed the exterior. Barry and Iris both had restraining orders on her and Barry didn't want her money, but they were going to court for the damages she caused. From Iris’ insistence and her knowledge in the law, she convinced him to press charges and document everything. It would work well for them if she tried it again, or made her reluctant to try it again. They both hoped that she got the message and stayed the hell away from them and their property. She needed to understand that what she had with Barry was over and she needed to move on with her life as any adult should.

Today was the day that he was officially taking her on a date as his girlfriend. He really didn't know what he wanted to do or where he wanted to take her at first. He just knew that he wanted the moment to be special. He and Iris had done so much stuff together throughout their 20-year friendship that there wasn't much else they could do together. Really, the only thing left for them to do is get married and have kids. They had covered everything else. That would probably seem boring or even daunting to some other people, but they loved that they didn't have to get to know each other better like you had to in new relationships, they didn't have to pretend or compromise. They already knew each other's quirks, likes, dislikes, strengths, weakness, hopes, dreams, aspirations, families, pasts, bad habits; everything. They both considered themselves lucky to have fallen in love with their best friend. It really didn't get any better than that. Once they got over that initial hump, things didn't even seem weird. Things just fell into place like they were supposed to.

The perfect place to take Iris on their date just hit him and he had to make arrangements for it. He was just sitting at work when it hit him that day. It wasn't a really huge deal, just something that he knew that Iris would like. He would enjoy it as well. It cost him a pretty penny, but it was worth it to spend money on making Iris smile. He thought about that happily as the day of their official first date neared.

Now they were still asleep in Iris’ bed. They seemed to switch off rooms without even thinking about it or discussing it. They just seemed to drift into one of their bedrooms. They were having fun getting to know the sexual sides of each other.

Iris awoke first like she always seemed to. She smiled when she looked over at Barry. He was laying on his stomach with his pillow balled up under him. She had to admit that he even looked good in his sleep. It took her 20 years to realize it, but it would always remain true. She was tempted to lean over and kiss him, but she didn't want to wake him. She quietly slipped into her bathroom and then went into the kitchen. She stood staring in the fridge and freezer and decided she didn't feel like fixing breakfast. She felt like going for a jog, or even to the gym. She wondered if Barry wanted to go with her. Their building had an exercise room and an indoor pool. Maybe she could even go for a swim. She had plenty of time because she really didn't have any concrete plans. She would study and probably tackle laundry. She and Barry were going on their date, but other than that she was free as a bird. Then she remembered that she had to put a few hours in at Jitters. She cursed the thought.

She hoped that Barry wasn't that hungry, but she would fix him something if he wanted it. She really just wanted some cereal before she made her way downstairs. She shut the doors to the fridge and Barry appeared right in front of her, startling her. "You scared me. Good morning, Bear." Iris says and smiles at him.

"Good morning, Iris." Barry replies and Iris notices that he looks weird.

"Are you ok?" She wonders.

"Yeah, I guess. I wasn't really ready to get up yet." He says and lightly smiles.

Iris laughs. "Go back to bed then, silly." She says. "I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry."

"You didn't really wake me. I just noticed that you weren't in the bed any more. Are you cooking? I kind of just want some cereal today." He says.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, because I feel the same way. I was thinking of going for a run, then I remembered I have to go to Jitters." She says as she opens the cupboard.

"You do remember our date tonight? Don't you need hours to try and make yourself look good?" Barry jokes.

"Yes, I remember. And I already told you that I don't have to try. But if you keep talking trash, I'll purposely look a hot mess just to make you look bad." She says and grins and hunches her shoulders.

Barry shakes his head and laughs. "You're not going to do that. You never leave the house looking like that and you're certainly not going to tonight." He says surely.

"There's a first time for everything." She says and smiles widely as she pours cereal.

"True. But I know you're not going to do that. You would really kick yourself if you did." Barry says as he grabs the milk.

Iris grabs spoons from the drawer for them. "Where are we going tonight?" She questions as she hands him his spoon.

"It's a surprise. I promise you'll like it. I take that back. You'll love it." He answers and smiles at her.

"Ok. I can wait. I like surprises. Well, I like the good kind. I did not like the surprises we got the other morning." She says and eats some of her cereal.

Barry frowned. "Don't remind me. I'm just glad we have proof that she did it and we don't have to worry about her anymore." He says and hopes she changes the subject.

"I forgot about calling my mom about dinner tomorrow. I'll do that before I leave." Iris announces.

"Good. I'm coming with you. But how are we going to tell them? Do you think it will be weird telling them we're a couple after all this time?" Barry asks quizzically.

"I don't know. I don't want to do anything too crazy. They might think one of us is engaged or having a baby. I love our moms. I don't want to give one of them a heart attack." Iris jokes, though the thought of losing either Francine or Nora is unsettling to her.

"Maybe we can just walk in holding hands. But how great is it that we both already know that our moms already love us? We don't even have to be on our best behavior." Barry says and smiles, before staring at Iris.

"I know. That's great. And I won't have to pretend to like my boyfriend's mother. I feel so lucky." Iris says and they both laugh.

"I wonder if it will feel weird looking at your mother and knowing that I've seen you naked." He says and really thinks about that.

"I don't know. I think it would have been worse if my father was still alive." Iris offers.

"Yeah, that would have been brutal. I think he would have stopped liking me." Barry admits and stares at her some more.

Iris laughs. "No doubt about it." She says. "My mom would have still loved you though. You are the son she never had."

Out of nowhere, Iris’ phone rings and she runs to get it. As if she knew they were talking about her, it was Francine calling.

"Hello?" Iris answers as she walks back into the kitchen.

"Hello, sweetheart. How are you? How's Barry?" Francine asks in a happy tone.

"I'm great. Barry's great too." He smiles and waves. "He says hello."

"I'm glad you're both there. Nora and I want you and Barry to come for Sunday dinner tomorrow. Be here at 4." Francine says a little sternly.

"Ok. Everything is ok, right?" Iris asks as she eyes Barry and gives him that look.

"Of course everything is ok. Can't we just want to see our children?" Francine asks.

"Yes. Are you sure nothing is wrong?" Iris asks.

"We just miss you two, that's all." Francine says.

"Ok. Can you make your cornbread sausage stuffing? I don't think I can wait until Thanksgiving." Iris says in her little girl voice.

"Of course, sweetheart. Love you and Barry. See you tomorrow." Francine says and hangs up.

Iris looks at Barry with the same weird expression on her face. "What?" Barry wonders.

"She invited us to dinner and just said, 'Be here at 4'." Iris says.

"Oh boy." Barry says and tries not think the worst.

Barry relaxed and Iris did her shift at Jitters and came back home to unwind before their date. Iris decided to get an early start on laundry while she studied a little. She figured she wouldn't have time to do it tomorrow since they were going to her mother's house the next day and going out for the evening later. She walked into Barry's room and found him watching their homemade video. She was glad she didn't catch him masturbating, though she saw that he was aroused. She decided to tease him about it. "Watching porn, Barry?" She asks almost accusingly.

"Yup. You should feel like a queen because I'm watching you." He says.

"I always feel like a queen, thanks to you. You make me feel like royalty." She says and then beams. "Were you jerking yourself off?" She asks, and forces herself not to laugh.

"No, I was not." He answered and Iris knew he lying.

She just grabbed his basket and went for the door. "Yes, you were." She says as she walks out the door. She lightly laughed to herself and started their laundry while she studied.

 

* * *

 

A few hours later, they both got ready for their date. Iris dressed in a black leather pants and a crocheted white midriff top. She threw on her red leather Valentino pumps. She flat ironed her hair straight and put on her signature red lipstick. She grabbed her red clutch and went out into the living room. Barry was sitting on the sofa waiting for her. He was dressed in black jeans and a Doublju long-sleeved white Henley that Iris picked out for him. She thought he looked really handsome and loved that they matched, with her little splashes of red. She almost wished that they weren't going out.

Barry looked her up and down and forced his erection not to grow full force. He wanted to take her into his room and say to hell with the date. "You look great." He says sincerely.

"Thanks. You look great too." She says.

Barry stands and kissed her on the cheek. "Ready for our first date?" He asks happily.

"Yes. Can you tell me where we're going now?" Iris asks.

"We're going out for Mongolian barbecue. Then somewhere else." He says.

"You're still not going to tell me?" Iris asks and pouts. She pokes out her bottom lip and looks at Barry. He's a sucker for that face.

"Not the face, Iris. You know I can't resist the face. Just let me surprise you." He says and pulls her toward the door.

"Ok. I can do that." She says and grins. They head to the garage and Barry surprises her by going to the Porsche. "We're taking the Porsche?" She asks almost incredulously.

"Yes. Tonight is special." He says and winks at her.

They drive and head to their first destination of eating dinner at Hibachi Grill. Barry really took the lead and ordered and romantically fed Iris. She felt so spoiled and so loved. They then started to walk hand in hand towards the heart of downtown Central City. Iris started to shake and get excited. When she saw her name in lights, she almost passed out. "Barry! We're going to the Beyoncé Formation concert?! Are you kidding me?" She exclaims in excitement.

"Yes. That's where we're going. Do you love your surprise?" He asks. "What do you think? Best boyfriend ever?"

"Yes. You are the best boyfriend ever. I love my surprise." She says happily and pulls him close to kiss him.

"Good. Because I love you. I always have as my friend, now I love you as my girlfriend." He says honestly.

"I love you too. You already know that. But I love you as more than just my best friend and my favorite person in the world." Iris says and kisses Barry again. They got a little lost in kissing on the street. They heard someone whistle and then they broke apart.

"Ready for the show?" Barry asks and smiles.

"More than ready. Thank you for this. You made our first date perfect." She says in a jovial tone.

"It's not over yet, Iris." He says and tugs her along and they head inside for the concert. Barry got them really good second row center seats and she wanted to kiss him for that.

Iris really got into the show and screamed with the rest of the crowd when Beyoncé and Jay Z came out. She leaned over and kissed Barry because he knew how much she loved Beyoncé and she was feet away from her thanks to him. She looked at Beyoncé as her idol and role model and was a proud member of the Beyhive. Iris sang along and screamed until her throat hurt. When they started performing 'Bonnie and Clyde', Iris looked over at him again and smiled. She took that as a sign. She remembered when they called her and Barry 'Bonnie and Clyde' because of the pranks they pulled when they were younger. Especially after the frog incident. Iris knew for sure that she truly did love and was in love with Barry, was glad that they were more than just friends now, and was happy she took that step with him.

They left the concert and strolled for a bit before they headed back to Barry's Porsche. They had a nice peaceful and serene drive home. They had already expressed that they loved each other and they both felt on top of the world. They got back to their place and were all over each other before their front door even closed. They went to Barry's bedroom. They started undressing. Barry almost ripped her top off. "You rip my blouse; you will buy me another one. Calm down. I'm not going anywhere." Iris says and smiles at him. He started to laugh and calmed down and took his time. They had all night. Barry took his time and slowly undressed Iris. He loved taking her clothes off and knowing that he was going to have fun all night with her.

Once they were fully nude in Barry's bed, Iris climbed on top of Barry and grabbed his hair and teased his lips with hers. She pulled back to tease him some more and smiled at him. Iris leans forward to place her lips to his as they embrace in a deep, tongue filled kiss. She nibbled on his ear and then she goes back to kiss him on the lips. She moves to his neck and takes light nibbles at his Adam's apple and then his collar-bone. She then makes her way to his chest and starts to kiss his nipples and stroked the hair on his chest. She kissed his rib tattoo slowly. Barry sat up a little and grabbed Iris’ waist and rolled them over. He climbs on top of her to kiss her again as he trails his kisses down to her neck. He makes his way to her breasts as he takes her erect nipple into his mouth. He nibbles on it before turning to the other one. He repeats his actions of nibbling on her nipple as he kisses down her abdomen and stops at her belly button. He kisses down the length of both legs before returning to her thighs. He kisses the inside as he parts her legs and slowly starts to lick the length of her opening before making contact with her clit and starts to suck as the nub starts to swell. He sucks on her swollen nub until she starts calling his name. "Barry! Barry! Oh my, oh damn Barry!" Iris moans. He then goes back to her lips and rolls his tongue before sticking it in her opening. He thrusts his tongue in and out as he makes love to her with his tongue. He goes back to sucking on her clitoris until Iris started to shake. She arched her back and tried not to hurt him from the grip she had on his hair as he continued to lick her clit. Her hips moved along with his tongue until she felt it slip inside of her. She felt his tongue move in and out of her. He has sucked a little harder on her clit as she felt her body get rigid. She desperately tried to stop herself from hurting him so she just let go and grabbed the sheets. "Shit, Barry!" He pulled away from her and looked up at her to give her a sexy wink.

She sat up and pulled him closer to her and planted a kiss on his lips. She encouraged him to lay on his back and she turned her body to face him and kissed him again. She kissed his chest lightly. Once she's done there, she moves down to his belly button and start to kiss him there before moving to his groin. She slowly takes the head of his penis into her mouth. Barry's body jerks in reaction. She starts to bob her head up and down while simultaneously stroking his shaft. She takes as much of him into her mouth as possible. After several sucks of his penis, she starts to lick up and down his shaft. She then takes one of his balls into her mouth and starts to suck on them before moving to the other one and then she hears him call out her name. She goes back to take the head of his penis into her mouth again where she sucks on the opening. "Dammit, Iris." Barry moaned as she continued to suck on him. She doesn't move her mouth though and continues to suck on the tip until the cum shoots out." That was amazing. I think you're trying to kill me. Are you trying to kill me, Iris?" He asks playfully.

Iris laughs in a seductive tone. "Of course not. I love you too much to want to kill you." She says as she crawls forward to kiss him. She climbed on top of him and straddled him. She looked deep into his eyes to silently let him know that she was ready as she grabbed his penis and lined it up at her opening and put it inside of her. He grabbed her ass and adjusted her some as she started to ride him. He sat up and took one of her breasts into his mouth and sucked on her nipples as she rode him. Being inside of Iris felt so good to him he thought he would lose it. He tried to hold off, but he had waited to be inside of her and it overwhelmed him. He didn't have a moment to warn her before he ejaculated.

"Damn. That came too fast. Give me a minute." He says as he pulls out of her. He looked at her and stroked his penis and he was back at attention moments later. All he really needed was a minute because he was ready, really ready for her now. He grabbed her by her waist and laid her down gently before he climbs on top of Iris and places a deep kiss to her lips. He continued to kiss her deeply as he placed his hands between her legs and played with her opening. He took the tip of his penis and stroked her clit and rubbed it along her labia before stopping at her opening. He slowly pushed himself into her where he just stayed before leaning down to kiss her. "I love you." He says as he starts to thrust his hips into her. He moved inside of her gently before pounding into her a little harder. He maintained steady thrusts inside of her. He felt so good inside of her. The first time was too quick to enjoy, but this was a lot better. Barry really knew how to fuck and she was loving that she didn't wait to find out how good he was any longer. She now sees why Becky went crazy. She was on the verge of losing her damn mind as well.

"Barry, Barry, Barry...Barry..." Iris moaned because the sex was amazing. She wraps her legs around his waist as he enters in and out of her. He slowly starts to grind into her as she wraps her arms around him and grabs the back of his hair. He tongue kisses her deeply as he continues to pound in to her. "Barry!" Iris screams out as it feels like he hit her g spot. She felt her clitoris pulsate. He took his hand and placed it under her ass and pulled her even closer to him. Her pussy felt like it was popping. She bit her lip as a powerful orgasm overtakes her. She starts to whimper and yells out, "Barry, I..." He grinds into her until his knees go stiff and he ejaculates into her. He takes his penis out of her and rubs it against her clitoris until he can get hard again.

Just like clockwork, he's erect again. "Get on your knees." He almost commands and Iris immediately turns over and presents her ass to him and felt him enter her. He started with a slow steady pace that Iris equally matched. He started to pick up speed as his thrusts went deeper into her. He gave her ass a light smack before he started to grab and rub her cheeks. He used her ass to anchor himself and to enjoy the view. He pounded and grinded into her like he needed it to breathe. Iris felt herself reach the brink and the orgasm overtook her. She felt the aftershocks of the orgasm as he finally went over the edge as well. He slowly pulled out of her and entered her again. He teased her opening and her clit with his dick. He suddenly pulled out of her and turned her over. He climbs between her legs and enters her slowly and then starts to thrust his hips into her. He really gets into his groove as he hears her moaning his name. He gets on his knees and pulls Iris’ thighs so that her ass is off the bed and he gets a great view of his dick moving in and out of her. Iris then starts to play with her clitoris. The sight of her touching herself excites and turns him on even more. It made him think back to the game they played several nights before and she became the hottest woman on the planet to him by fingering herself in front of him without him even asking. She starts to shiver and jerk as the orgasm takes over and wrecks her body. He gives her several harder thrusts before he unloads inside of her again. Barry pulls out of her and lays her down before he lays down beside her. He just looks at the woman he loves, basking in the pure state of orgasm bliss and felt like a champion. He put that look on her face and gave her all those orgasms.

Iris turned towards him. "I think you're trying to kill me." She says as settled beside him and he pulls her into his arms. "That was...I can't even describe what that was." Iris says and then exhales.

"I don't know what you're talking about. But that was just the beginning." Barry says as he moves from beside her and got on his knees. He leaned forward to kiss her and kissed her breasts again. He loved that her nipples were still erect. He starts to kiss down her stomach before making his way to her pubic region. He plants kisses all over her vagina before slowly parting her lips and licking the inside. He then moves to her clitoris and starts to suck as the nub starts to swell. He then goes back to her lips and rolls his tongue before sticking it in her opening. He thrusts his tongue in and out until he feels her body go stiff as a board.

"Oh...my...oh...my...Barry..." Iris moaned breathlessly. She feels like she got a little carried away because she had a super grip on his hair. He's still licking her as she comes down from a state of elation. Barry rolled them over and Iris climbs on top of him and sits down on his dick. She leans her body forward as she starts to gyrate her hips and grind on to him. Barry grabs a handful of her ass as they continue to grind into each other. Barry sat up straighter and reached behind her to smack her ass. He gives her ass light smacks as he continues to move inside of her as she rides him. He feels her walls tighten and grip him as her juices start flowing. Barry grabs her ass tighter and continues to thrust upward until he feels that he's near the edge. He grabbed her ass and felt his body go stiff as he unloaded. Iris collapsed and laid next to him and just smiles at the man she loves more than anything. She always had, it was just deeper now.

"I don't know why you're getting comfortable, I told you that was just the beginning." Barry says as he pulls her close again and kisses her. Iris let out a small yelp as he turns her over again.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Iris woke up completely drained and more than satisfied. Barry was too, but she had never in her life had a night of sex like that before. She didn't know Barry had that in him. He told her he was just making up for all the years they could have been doing that. Her night with Barry was the best sex she ever had. He seemed to want to make up for that first nut that came too early. He made up for that and then some. Iris felt like she could no longer call it her vagina any more. It was definitely Barry's. She just hoped she didn't do anything too crazy and make a fool of herself like Becky did. The sex was addicting. If it was a drug, then she was strung out. The only problem was she would never, ever go to rehab.

Iris decided they would just have cereal again since they were going to her Mom's house for dinner. She thought that them going there at 4 and eating beforehand was pointless. Francine would practically force feed them and they both knew it. They were looking forward to it because they missed Francine's cooking. They lounged around and had sex a few times before they got ready. Barry was confused about what to wear.

"Are we supposed to dress nice?" He asks as he walks into Iris’ bedroom in just his boxers.

"Not church nice, no. But don't wear some sweats and a tee-shirt. Just throw on some jeans." Iris says and then thinks about it. "On second thought, put on some dark jeans, but just wear a button down. That's good enough." She says and smiles. She went to her closet and pulled out a blush sweater dress. She quickly put it on as Barry stood there and watched. She turned the color of her dress at him watching her. "What?" She asks subtly.

"Nothing. I just love looking at you. I love seeing you blush because it reminds me of the little girl I met in kindergarten." He says sincerely.

Iris smiled at that. "Every once in a while, you remind me of that little boy I met too. Now go and get dressed. I'm not being late and dealing with Francine."

Barry just looks at her and hurries to go and get dressed. Iris finished getting ready and went out into the living room where Barry was waiting for her. "Ready?" He asks and stands.

"Yup." Iris replies and smiles. She walks over to the door with Barry following her. He pinched her butt and Iris turned to face him. "Get that out of your system before we go over there."

"Can we fool around in the car?" He asks with a straight face.

"No, Barry." Iris says surely as they head for the elevator.

"Can we fool around in your old bedroom then?" He asks, with the same straight face.

Iris laughed. "Francine." Is all she says.

"Never mind." He says as they head for the garage and make their way to Iris’ now fixed car. They drove to Francine's house and pulled up in front of it. Barry almost reached for Iris’ hand, but decided against it until Francine and Nora knew about them. Iris let herself in with the key she still had.

"Hello? We're here." She announces. They smelled the food as soon as they entered and they both started drooling.

Francine came out the kitchen with a platter of fruit, cheese, and crackers in her hand. "Iris and Barry. I missed you two." She says and placed it on the coffee table and gave Barry and Iris hugs.

"We missed you too, Mom." Iris says and holds on to her mother longer. She really did miss her.

"Where's my mother?" Barry asks and looks around.

"She's coming. She had to run to the store for me." Francine says and eyes Barry and Iris with that motherly look.

Iris felt it. She knows her mother well. "Need some help?" She offers as a distraction.

"No. You guys are guests here." Francine says and disappears into the kitchen.

Iris looks at Barry and shrugs. They sit on the sofa and snacked on the platter Francine put out, and minutes later, Nora comes in. "Hi, Barry. Hi, Iris." Nora says as Barry gets up to get her bags.

"Hi, Nora." Iris says happily.

"Hi, Mom." Barry says matching her tone.

Nora took the bags back and disappeared into the kitchen with Francine. Barry and Iris were starting to get weird vibes from their mothers. Something was definitely up. Francine came out of the kitchen with drinks for Barry and Iris. She handed them to them without a word and a smile. She disappeared back into the kitchen moments later.

Iris looked over at Barry. "What is going on?" She whispered.

"I don't know, but they are definitely acting weird." Barry says and takes a sip of his drink.

Nora and Francine came out of the kitchen and sat in the chairs facing the sofa. They just stared at Barry and Iris for a minute without speaking. They looked at each other for a moment. They then looked back at their children.

"What's going on? Why are you two acting so weird?" Iris wonders.

"Yeah." Barry adds.

"You guys think we're acting weird?" Nora asks and looks at them with wide eyes.

"Yes." Barry and Iris say together.

Nora chuckled. "Do you think we're acting weird, Francine?"

Francine smiles. "No, I don't think we're acting weird. I think our children are paranoid."

"We are not paranoid. You're acting weird." Iris says. "I knew something was up when you just called and invited us over."

Francine smiles and looks at Nora. She then grabbed her hand. "We have something to tell you."

Barry and Iris looked at each other, then at their mothers. They looked back at each other and wondered what in the hell Francine and Nora wanted to tell them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This was a huge mistake."

Barry and Iris continued to look at their mothers wondering what they had to tell them. They already sensed that something was going on from the way they were both acting. Now they were holding hands and looking at them strangely. Barry and Iris both thought the worst. They had no idea what they would tell them. They were both hoping it was nothing bad. Their mothers were the only parents they had left and neither wanted to hear that one of them was sick or something even worse than that.

Iris turned to look at Barry, and after knowing him for over 20 years, she was able to read him and know what he was thinking. He was thinking the same thing she was thinking but he needed her to talk for him. "What do you guys have to tell us? Please don't say that one of you is sick." She says rather calmly, though it sounds like she's pleading.

"No, neither one of us is sick. Why would you think that?" Francine asks and smiles.

Iris scoffed almost incredulously. "Because you just out of the blue invited us over here, then you've both been acting strange since we've gotten here. We'd really like to know what's going on. Right, Barry?" She says as she turns to look at him briefly.

"Right. Just let us know why you invited us over here." Barry says a little nervously. He felt like he was under water and couldn't breathe. He felt like he did the night of the policeman’s ball and was feeling strange around Iris. He became warm like he did that night but didn't understand why. He reached forward to get his glass from the coffee table and took a sip of his cold drink.

"Well, son. We brought you and Iris here to tell you that Francine and I have fallen in love and we're a couple now." Nora says and looks at Francine and smiles. Barry started to choke on his drink, and Iris, totally horrified, tried to stop him from choking by patting him on his back. Nora and Francine started to look horrified as well.

Iris continued to pat his back as he continued to cough. "What?!" She asks in shock. _How in the hell can our mothers be in love with each other? How is that even possible? How can they be a couple now? What does that mean for me and Barry?_ Iris wondered to herself.

"Take it easy, Barry." Nora says calmly and in a motherly tone. She didn't mean to kill her son with her shocking news.

Barry finally calmed down from his coughing and choking fit. He just stared at his mother and Iris' mother, his mother's new lover, and wanted to down some scotch to make him feel better. "How can you expect me to take it easy when you tell us something like that?" He wonders as he looks at the women in front of him.

"Really." Iris says. She never thought she would see the day that her mother and Nora would be in love. It didn't make sense to her. Sure, she had no problem with homosexuality. Not at all. Felicity is a lesbian and one of her dearest friends. She looked at Nora like her second mother. Which made sense since she was now dating her son after being his best friend the majority of their lives. Now, Nora was dating her mother. _Will Nora be my step mom? What is going to happen with me and Barry?_ Iris continues to wonder.

"We know that this may be shocking to you two, but we can't help how we feel." Francine says.

"Well, it is shocking to say the least. But we're happy for you." Iris says and Barry looks over at her. He communicated with her without words. She picked right up on him thinking, _But what about us?_ Iris hunched her shoulders and stared back at him. I don't know, Barry. We might end up being step brother and sister.

Francine and Nora watched the exchange. They finally stopped holding hands and just looked at their children. They then looked at each other. They looked back at Barry and Iris and their wordless communication. They had done that since they were kids and were truly best friends and kindred spirits with the way they connected to each other. Now they knew they had just dropped a huge bomb on their children, but they wanted them to talk to them instead of talking silently with each other. "Why are you two talking to each other, instead of telling us how you feel?" Francine wonders.

Iris and Barry were still in their trance, but Iris broke away from it first at hearing Francine's voice. "No reason. We're just shocked. That's all." She admits truthfully. She just got the shock of her life, and was trying to handle it with the utmost respect to her mother and Barry's. She selfishly couldn't help but think about the fate of her own relationship. She felt like a terrible person and daughter for thinking that way, but that's how she felt.

Barry felt the same way. He would be happy if his mother found love, but how can it be with Francine? His girlfriend's mother. _How can my mother be in love with her best friend? How?_ Barry thought and then the realization that he's in love with his best friend hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt selfish for thinking that he wished that his mother and Francine hadn't fallen in love. Not that they hadn't fallen in love, just not with each other. This was a disaster. A beautiful disaster. Barry started to laugh at the irony. All three women looked at him like he had lost it, and he probably did. He noticed them all starting at him, and Iris had the most horrified expression. The look on her face got him to stop laughing. "Sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be disrespectful." Barry states sincerely. "I'm really happy for you two." He says, also with sincerity. He wanted to curse because they had both fell in love with the wrong woman. He and Iris had just gotten together. They had sex for crying out loud. Not just once, but a couple of times since their first time the week before. Not to mention all the other activities they engaged in, plus the video. They couldn't undo that. It seemed so unfair to him.

Iris just stared at Barry and truly felt his pain. She was in a relationship with her future step brother. It seemed so nasty to her. She started to laugh too. Not because it was funny, but because it was funny and unfair. The irony and incongruity of it all just seemed to overwhelm her. She just fell in love with her best friend, and her mother just did the same. In a perfect world, that would be wonderful. But her mother's lover was her boyfriend's mother. She thought people wouldn't even believe her if she told them. She continued to laugh, but stopped abruptly when she saw the look her mother was giving her. Nora's green eyes were staring her down as well. "Sorry. I'm really sorry, Moms." Iris offers as an apology.

"Well, we're glad that you two find this so funny." Francine says almost sternly.

"We're sorry." Iris says as she apologizes for both of them.

"We know it sounds crazy. It is crazy. But it really wouldn't sound crazy if you two had told us the same thing." Francine says and deadpans her daughter.

Iris felt her mother's eyes bore into her and it made her feel like she was a little girl in trouble. She was afraid to look away, but she did and briefly looked at Nora who was giving Barry the same look. He did turn and look at Iris and really wondered what the hell was going on. "What?" Iris asks quietly. "What are you saying, Mom?"

"I'm saying that Nora and I think that it's time for you and Barry to stop being just friends and get together." Francine replies and continues to stare at her daughter.

"What?" Iris asks again. She heard her mother the first time, but she needs her to repeat it.

"She said that we think it's time for you and Barry to get together." Nora says. "Wouldn't you agree, son?" She asks and looks at her only son with a serious look on her face.

"What?" Barry asks, this time sounding just like Iris.

"Are you two going deaf? Are you listening to music really loudly and you've lost your hearing?" Francine asks in an incredulous tone.

"No, we're not going deaf. We just don't understand what you're saying." Iris admits truthfully.

"Ok. One more time. Nora and I think that you and Barry should give a relationship a try. If It doesn't work out, at least you know you tried and you'll still be friends. We've thought a lot about this. And we think that you should listen to us." Francine says.

Barry looks over at Iris momentarily. "Where is this coming from?" He wonders as he stares at his two moms.

"Well, we just thought about it one day. Our friends' kids are getting engaged and married, and ours aren't. We each couldn't think of anyone better for either of you. So we decided to get you here and spring this on you. It's not the end of the world. Just a suggestion from your mothers. And you know mother knows best." Francine says and smiles.

Iris looks over at Barry again. They wonder if they should ask about the whole 'we fell in love' thing that Nora and Francine just threw at them. "What about you and Nora? Don't you think that would be weird?" She asks a little uneasily.

"What about me and Nora? We were just kidding." Francine says and she and Nora crack up laughing.

"What?" Barry asks, in a semi miffed tone.

"We were just kidding. We were just trying to show you that Francine and I would be weird and a terrible idea all the way around, but you two together won't be. I love Francine like my sister, and nothing more. No offense, Francine." Nora says.

"None taken. We both like men. We haven't realized we're lesbians. Now back to what we discussed. What do you two think?" Francine asks eagerly.

"What are we supposed to say to that, Mom?" Iris asks, though she and Barry are way ahead of them.

"It's really not that big of a deal, Iris. You two have been best friends since you were 5 years old. Just think of how great it will be for you to fall for your best friend, sweetheart." Francine replies.

"And you're not going to find a better woman for you than Iris, Barry." Nora says and gives Barry a serious look. "Really, Iris has always been your woman. Especially since she moved in with you. You two are literally married without the paper."

"What if Iris and I don't like each other in that way?" Barry asks just to mess with them. He agrees completely with everything his mother just said.

"How could you not?" Nora asks.

"Look, we're not telling you two to get married and give us a house full of grandkids tomorrow. But could you at least go out on a date as more than friends? We'll pay." Francine says.

Iris looks at Barry again and he got that smirk on his face that she has seen her whole life. She knew exactly what he was thinking. "That won't be necessary." She says in a dark tone.

Nora and Francine look at each other in disappointment. "Why not, Iris?" Francine asks.

"Because Barry and I are just friends, that's why. I don't look at him like that. He doesn't look at me like that." Iris says gravely.

"She's right. The thought of that just seems...wrong." Barry says and shudders.

"Are you sure?" Nora asks. "Both of you? You're both sure there's nothing more?" She asks once more.

"Yes. Besides, I have a boyfriend." Iris says.

"And I have a girlfriend." Barry counters.

Nora and Francine look so sad and disappointed, that it almost hurts Iris to keep up the charade. "Is it serious?" Francine asks.

"Yes, it's serious." Iris says.

"What about you, Barry? You actually got serious with that Becky person?" Nora asks expectantly, though she hopes his answer isn't like Iris'.

"Yes, it's serious. I love her." Barry confesses truthfully. Iris had to keep her composure and not reveal herself too soon.

Nora frowned. So did Francine. “Becky? You love and are serious about Becky?”

Barry looked over at Iris briefly to get her signal. “Yeah. It just kind of hit me unexpectedly one day. I realized my feelings were a lot deeper for her than I thought they were.”

“Great.” Nora says in a fake enthusiastic tone. She didn’t like Becky either. The two times she was around here were trying. She wondered what the hell Barry was thinking. Sure she was pretty, but he could do better.

"What about you, Iris? When am I going to meet this serious boyfriend?" Francine wonders.

"Actually, you've already met him." Iris replies and smiles.

"I have? When?" Francine asks as she tries to search her brain to remember a guy that Iris has introduced to her and she came up empty. She really got lost in thought thinking that she didn't notice that Barry and Iris slid closer to each other on the sofa. Nora did however, and tapped Francine on the arm. "What?" She asks as Nora interrupts her train of thought.

"Look." She says happily. By this time, Barry and Iris have joined hands. Nora and Francine look on and start to get excited.

"Does that mean what we want it to mean?" Nora wonders hopefully.

"Please say yes." Francine states.

Iris looked at Barry and smiled at him. He smiled at her too. "Yes." She says and smiles again. Telling their mothers felt great.

"So you two are together? Together together?" Francine asks in jovial expectation.

"Yes, we're together." Iris says happily.

Nora and Francine hugged each other and practically squealed. "So when did this happen?" Nora asks in the most cheerful tone she can manage.

"About 2 weeks ago." Iris answers.

"So how did it happen?" Francine asks.

Barry and Iris both get uneasy. There's no way they can tell their mothers that they were playing around and Barry saw her naked, which started the chain of events that lead to them being together now. They communicated silently again and decided to embellish. "I went to Barry's policeman’s ball with him and everyone thought we were married, so we decided to give it a try. It's been going great since then." She says, even though she leaves out the not so great part about Becky vandalizing and destroying their property.

“What about Becky?” Nora wonders.

“Becky is history.” Barry replies.

“Thank God.” She says happily.

"So when's the wedding?" Francine asks.

Iris and Barry look at each other again. "Wedding? We just got together." Iris exclaims.

"So? You've known each other much longer than most couples. You already know you like each other and can live together. What's the wait for?" Nora asks.

"Yeah, that's true. But I don't think we're ready to get married just yet." Barry responds.

"You two are already married in my eyes. All you need to do is sleep together." Nora states and is probably saying too much. Barry and Iris got uneasy at her saying that.

"I think we're too late for that, Nora." Francine says and laughs.

"Is dinner ready yet?" Iris asks to change the subject.

"Now, I'm really convinced that you did." Nora says and chuckles. There isn't much she can say since Barry and Iris are adults and can do as they please.

"Is it hot in here?" Barry asks as he reaches forward for his glass and takes a sip.

"Calm down, Barry. I'm not going to kill you for sleeping with my little girl. I already knew Iris wasn't a virgin." Francine states, making both Barry and Iris uncomfortable.

"Is dinner ready yet?" Iris asks again.

"I think we've tortured them enough, Francine." Nora says and laughs.

"I think we have. I just have a quick question, and we'll really leave you alone." She says and smiles at them.

"Ok." Iris says with much hesitation.

"When's the wedding?" Francine asks seriously, to deeply unamused Iris and Barry.

 

 

* * *

 

Barry and Iris finished up their meal with their mothers that wasn't at all awkward after their initial shock of really thinking that their mothers were in a relationship and they'd have to reevaluate their own. Thankfully, they didn't have to do that since they were just pulling a ruse to try to get them together. Barry drove to their place with a lot on his mind. Iris as well. Their mothers had given them a lot to think about. Everything they said was true but they both had to decide if they were really ready for marriage. They were only 25. They had time to get married. They both thought about marrying each other, though they never discussed it with the other one. Nora was right, they had lived like husband and wife since Iris moved in with Barry. They were married in every sense of the word. But their whole relationship stemmed from their friendship. They already knew everything they possibly could about each other. They did know each other better than some engaged, and even some married couples. They were no surprises, no games to play, no lies to be told, nothing else to conquer. They took that final step and realized that they were extremely sexually compatible. Why shouldn't they get married?

Barry took his eyes off the road for a second to glance over at Iris. "So dinner was great." He says to gauge her thoughts.

"Yeah, it was. After the shock of our mothers saying they're lovers wore off, it became great." Iris says.

He glanced over at her again. "What did you think about what they said?" Barry wonders.

"What? About us getting married? It makes sense, I guess." Iris says and shrugs. Eventually, she would like to get married. You're supposed to marry your best friend. It made perfect sense. But she kind of just wanted to be Barry's girlfriend at the moment.

"It does make sense. But Iris, please don't take offense to this, but I kind of just want to be your boyfriend right now." He confesses and really hopes Iris doesn't take it the wrong way. The last thing he want to do is upset her or hurt her feelings unintentionally.

Iris smiles. "Good. I feel the same way. I was just thinking that I just wanted to be your girlfriend at the moment. I'm having fun just being that." She affirms and smiles at him again. Barry just makes her smile.

"Great. That works out great for us. How are we going to break it to our mothers?" Barry truly wonders as he glances over at Iris again.

"I don't know. We have to do something though. Leave it to them and they'll have me fitted for a wedding dress and have invitations sent out. Can you believe they went to that length to get us together? They actually told us they were lovers, Barry. Can you get over that?" She asks and then laughs.

"No, I can't get over that. You saw my reaction. I thought I was going to choke. I just thought about you becoming my step sister, and it pissed me off." Barry replies.

"I thought about that too. I thought of how unfair it was that we had just gotten together, and then our mothers got together as well. Then I felt guilty for feeling like I couldn't be happy for them because of us. I felt awful for feeling that selfish. I want both of our moms to find someone, just not each other. That would be so weird. Your mom is like my second mother. Seeing her and my mother together romantically is just wrong. I'm glad they're just friends." Iris admits but realizes that it sounds bad. "Does that sound bad? It does. It does sound bad."

"No one will know but us, but if it makes you feel any better, I feel the same way. I've always looked at your mom like a second mom or an aunt too, and the thought of them together almost makes my head explode. I think I'd be less upset if my mom got with one of my friends." Barry states and then thinks about that. He changes his mind. "Never mind. That's bad too."

Iris laughs out loud. "Well, we don't have to worry about it because they were only joking. I'm so happy that they were." She says lightly.

"You know that since they know we've had sex, we could have fooled around in your old bedroom like I wanted to." He says and avoids eye contact by seemingly just keeping his eyes on the road.

Iris looked over and stared at him for a moment without speaking. "Just because they suspected that we've had sex doesn't mean they'll just let us get it on while they're in the same house, Barry."

"I know. It's a good thing we already live together then." Barry counters as he finally looks over and flashes her his killer grin.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Barry and Iris really had to discuss the details of their party. At first they were just having it because Iris said they were having one to get Eddie out of her hair. Then they thought it would be a really good idea to have one to let Eddie, and others that they were a couple. They still hadn't really discussed what they each would do and who they would invite. They didn't want it to be a huge gathering, but they felt like having a moment with their friends.

"So are we still having a Toga themed party?" Barry asks while they were eating breakfast that Monday morning before work.

"I don't know. I don't feel like being bothered with that idea. How about we have a beach/pool party themed one? Or maybe an early Halloween party? What do you think?" Iris inquires.

"I like the beach one. That way I get to see you in a bikini." Barry says and grins before eating some of his eggs.

"Ok. But you do know that Eddie will see me in this bikini, right?" Iris says to remind him.

"Then that's an even better idea. I want him to see what he's not going to get. I'm pretty sure Laurel will wear one too, and he'll go slide her way." Barry says surely.

"You're probably right." Iris says. "I have to call everyone I'm inviting. Or maybe I'll send out a mass text or something." She says as she sips her juice.

"Me too. This party isn't really going to be a huge deal anyway. Just a small gathering among friends." Barry states.

"So you and Eddie are friends now?" Iris wonders.

"He was ok until he started to stare at you like you were on the menu. He'll go back to being ok once he realizes that you aren't available, especially to him." Barry says and smiles just thinking of Eddie's reaction.

“What about Patty and her having the hots for you? She looked like you were on the menu that night at the ball. Then the way she looked at me when you introduced me as your girlfriend was hilarious.”

"Patty is such a non factor, I don't even know why you're dwelling on it. I have had plenty of opportunities to get with Patty and I haven't taken them, and I never will. She'll get over it once she's knows I'm with you." Barry says as he tries to assure Iris that her concerns are unnecessary.

“I hope she doesn’t go off the deep end like Beck-y did.”

“I hope not either.”

 

 

* * *

 

Barry made his way to his job to start his new work week. He saw Patty in the lobby and she actually smiled and waved at him. That was the first time he saw her since that little incident in his office. He didn't at all care that she was still interested in him even when she knew he had a girlfriend. She would get over it. Even if she didn't, he wasn't going to worry about it at all. Barry wasn't in the business of caring about the hurt feelings of an adult that couldn’t handle rejection. She wasn't Iris. He cared about her feelings and didn't give a damn about Patty's.

He ran into Cisco and Eddie at the elevator. He was glad that he did so that he could get the party invite out of the way. "Hey Barry. How was your weekend?" Cisco asks.

"Hey, Cisco. Eddie. It was great. Went to a concert with Iris and then we had dinner at her mother's house. How was your weekend?" Barry asks after purposely mentioning his great times with Iris in front of Eddie.

"I just had a weekend at home watching sports. Nothing fantastic. How is Iris? What concert did you guys go to?" Cisco questions.

"Iris is fantastic." Barry says and really puts emphasis on the word fantastic just to annoy Eddie more. "We went to the Beyoncé concert. It was awesome." He says truthfully.

Eddie finally speaks up. "So that's why you had to cancel the party."

"Yeah. Iris really wanted to go, so we had to. It's back on for this Saturday. You're both invited. It's a beach themed party." Barry says while they all step on the elevator.

"Beach theme? I hope Iris wears a bikini. I can't wait to see that." Eddie says and gets a self satisfactory look on his face.

Barry had to force himself not slam Eddie against the wall and give him a few hits to the jaw for talking crazy about his girlfriend. Barry decided to ignore him. He'll get his revenge at the party. "Yeah. So wear your beach gear. We have a pool in our building if you want to go swimming." Barry says.

"Great. That sounds like fun. Will there be any other hot girls there?" Cisco asks.

"Yeah. Iris is inviting her friends. It's not going to be that big of a party, but if you two wanted to invite someone, you can." Barry states as the elevator arrives at their floor and they step off to head to their areas.

"Are Iris's friends hot?" Cisco asks and Barry laughs.

"Yeah, they are. Don't worry Cisco. I'm sure you'll have fun at the party. You'll probably like one of them. I think you'll like Laurel, Eddie." Barry says to annoy him further.

"Nah, I have my eye on Iris." Eddie says almost seductively.

"Well, I'll see you guys later." Barry says, ignoring Eddie's statement completely.

 

* * *

 

A few days later, Iris and Barry again woke up with her in his arms. It was like their natural routine now ti seemed. They both got ready to start their day, and ended up in the kitchen. Iris had a little test for Barry. She knew him like the back of her hand, and knew exactly what he was going to tell her. She sipped her juice and just looked at him.

"Did you remember to reserve the pool for the party Saturday night?" She asks and waits.

Barry gave her that look. That look that he has given Nora plenty of times throughout the years. Iris as well. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

"Well it's a good thing I remembered to do it."

"Again, I'm sorry. I forgot."

"Did you really forget or were you just trying to pass the buck to me?"

He instantly looked guilty. "I don't do that."

"Bart Allen."

"I hate it when you call me Bart."

"I know you do. That's why i said it."

"I really wasn't passing the buck this time. I truly forgot, Iris."

"So you're admitting that you do pass the buck to me?" She asks as she raises an eyebrow to him. She couldn't wait to hear his answer.

"No, you're just better at things like this. And you know I sometimes forget things." He says and smiles.

"Yeah, I know. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me."

"True. But I'll repay you for that later."

Iris felt a tingle in her spine. "How?"

"I'll think of something while I'm at work." Barry says. He hid his sly smile from her.

 

* * *

 

Later that day, Iris was lying across her bed on her laptop when Barry came in. He stood there and watched her for a moment. Those tiny shorts she had on was doing something to him.

"Hey, Iris."

Iris turned around to greet him. "Hey, Bear."

He sat down on the bed and continued to watch her. All those years of just being her friend and he never really noticed just how fucking hot Iris was. Now she was his girlfriend. He wanted her. And he just happened to have something to repay her for.

Iris closed her laptop and sat up. She just looked at the dazed and confused look Barry had on his face. She said nothing and just watched him.

"Hey, Iris." He says again.

"You already told me hi, Bear."

"I think you're distracting me in those shorts. Plus I have something for you."

"What?"

"I think it's time for me to repay you for what you did." Barry says as he kissed her before removing her tee-shirt. He lightly pushes Iris back on the bed. He kissed her some more and started to tug on her skimpy shorts. He pulled them and the sexy pair of pink underwear she had on off of her body. He stood up and quickly undressed himself in a flash. Iris didn't think she had ever seen him get naked that fast before. Barry climbs on top of her as they start to kiss hungrily. Barry takes his hand to pry Iris's thighs open as he settles himself comfortably between her legs and starts to play with her opening. He kisses her on her neck and makes his way to suck on her nipples. He travels his tongue along her abdomen until he reaches her vagina. He starts to run his tongue along her opening and her clit as he devours her with his mouth.

"Damn Barry," Iris moans as he continues to taste her. He licks and kisses the inside of her thighs before he dives his head back between her legs. He was on a mission to really thank her for what she did. He's going above and beyond what he usually does and her pussy and clitoris is throbbing from him sucking on it. She wonders just how long it will take for her to get used to the way Barry tastes her. It's not a bad thing at all. He was really good with his mouth and she wasn't used to that. Not only was that good, but the sex was good as well. Better than good. It was better than the shit she watched Miranda/Patrice do with the guys in her movies. And they got paid for it. Barry was good just because. She liked that he insisted that she be pleased. Barry pulled his mouth away from her and looked up at her and smiled. He wasn't done thanking her just yet. He goes back in for more and Iris started to grip the sheets. Her clitoris felt like it was close to exploding when she reached for his hair and gripped his locks between her hands. She increased her grip on his hair as her body started to jerk and she saw stars. "Oh my god." She says as the orgasm floods her body.

Barry moves form between her legs climbs back up on top of her to enter her. Barry enters her slowly as Iris wraps her legs around his waist. Barry lightly picks Iris up to put his hands on her ass to lift her slightly off the bed to help him dive deeper into her. Barry sets up a steady pace and Iris moans louder with each thrust. Her moaning in his ear turns him on. She lightly nibbled on his earlobe and moaned his name into her ear. Iris took her legs from around his waist and Barry grabs them and angles her body so that her legs are on his shoulders as he grinds in to her. Just like before, her moans excite him and somehow makes him crave her body more. He maintains a steady and powerful thrust as he hears Iris moan his name in his ear repeatedly. He knows that he's the man that makes her feel that good, and it makes his dick even harder. He's almost near completion as he pulls out of her and pushes himself back in to her tight walls. As Barry feels her walls constricting and her juices flowing, it's a little too much for him for him to maintain his erection much longer. He quickly reaches the brink as Iris has her second orgasm from him thanking her. He fills her up with his own juices and then he settles beside her.

"I guess you should forget to do things, have me cover for you, and have you thank me for it more often." Iris says as she tries to regulate her breathing.

"Yeah, you should." He admits truthfully.

Iris looked over at him and smiled. "I can't believe my huge dork of a best friend is this much of a beast in the bedroom." She asks trying to trip Barry up.

He looked over at her skeptically. "You're kidding right? I’m only like this because of you." He says.

"Great answer." She says as she moved over to climb on top of him. He was almost back to fully erect and they both were glad of that fact.

"Of course." Barry says. He sat up a little and playfully slapped Iris' ass angled his body on her pillows. He grabbed her ass as the signal for her to ride him. She adjusted her body on top of him and slid down his thick length before she started to ride him. He took time to suck on her nipples as she was riding him. He then took his thumb to make rotating motions to her clitoris. He playfully slapped her ass again and left a little sting. "That was for being a bad girl and calling me Bart earlier. You have to pay for that, Ms. West." Barry says.

"Yes, Mr. Allen." Iris says.

 

* * *

 

The following Saturday, Iris awoke early to get the preparation for the party underway. She needed to go grocery and party supply shopping. She needed to buy things like balloons and stuff people could use in the pool. She hoped that they wouldn't be too hard to find that time of year. It was almost October and they lived in Central City. Not many people were going swimming, but she would still give it a try. They needed food and alcohol. They were mostly just doing finger foods. They'd order a ton of pizza and have things like wings, chips, and dip. It wasn't a huge party, and she didn't want to put anything too heavy on the menu since people would be swimming. She wasn't putting that much effort into it anyway. It was just a party among friends. she and Barry were announcing that they are now a couple, but it isn't like it's an engagement party or anything.

It was just a pool party at the beginning of Fall. She was thankful for the heated indoor pool that their building had. They were sure to have a good time. They put all of the other stuff behind them. Now, they were just having fun with their friends. Friends she missed and hadn't seen in a long time. She really hadn't seen Felicity or Caitlin and missed both of them but for different reasons. She was sure that Barry missed his buddies Oliver and Ronnie. They also invited a few neighbors from the building. Iris invited her grad school Friends Kendra and Marina. Barry was inviting Eddie, Cisco, Diggle and his wife Lyla. Linda and Laurel were coming as well. Linda was seriously going to be the life of the party. Iris could already picture the bikini the size of a band-aid that Felicity was going to wear.

She knew she had to look good too. Because she was the hostess and because she wanted to look good for Barry. She wondered what bikini she was going to wear and then started picturing Barry in his swimming trunks. She started to think of him being wet in the pool. Thinking about his hair and body hair being wet and also his tattoo exposed kind of turned her on. Her huge dork of a boyfriend had a tattoo. She started thinking about the tattoo he had on his rib that was the Superman symbol. He was borderline obsessed with him and had been since they were kids. She looked over at Barry's sleeping form and got turned on.

She was so turned on that she decided to wake Barry up with a surprise. She had never woken him up like that before and it seemed like fun to her. The whole day was going to be fun, so she decided to start early. She adjusted her body lower on the bed. She was careful not to move too much because she didn't want to wake him up before she started. She lightly grabbed his dick and put it into her mouth. She got into the rhythm of sucking him off when she felt Barry's body jerk beneath her. He then gasped and made an inaudible sound. The one she's so used to now. It was the one that let her know that he liked what she was doing and also made her wetter. Turning Barry on did that to her. She already knew that he got off on pleasing her. His body jerked some more and he gasped again. She knew he was close when he started saying her name. She felt him go stiff and then he ejaculated inside her mouth. She just finished and released him and then smiled. "Good morning." Iris says as she takes in Barry's orgasm face plus his surprised one. She just got out of her bed and went into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and hopped in the shower. Minutes later, Barry did the same and got into the shower with her. Iris loved the look he had on his face.

"Good morning. I like how you woke me up." He says and grins at her.

"I know you did. It was my pleasure." She says and grins back at him.

"I have to find a way to give you a good morning surprise." Barry states.

"I guess you do. But the good night surprises you give me are just as good. This isn't a competition though, Bear." Iris says and smiles at him as she starts to lather her body with soap.

"I know that. I just have to make sure that you don't leave me for Eddie. Or go back to Scott." Barry jokes.

"Funny. I guess I'd better step my game up before Beck-y comes back and steals my spot. What about Patty? She’ll be here later, and you can see her in a bathing suit and outside of work. That way you can weigh your options." Iris states and gives him a look that makes him think he shouldn't have brought Eddie and Scott up.

"Alright. That's enough, Iris. I told you that you never play fair. You always go below the belt." Barry says and Iris instantly averts her eyes and stares at his crotch.

"I don't always go below the belt, Barry. I could stop doing that though. Starting now." She says and smirks at him. She turned her back on him.

"I'm sorry, Iris." Barry says and steps closer to her. He pressed her against the wall and started to stroke his dick against her ass. "I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?" He asks as he continues to stroke and whispers in her ear.

"Nope." Iris says even though she starts to shake and moans from him pressing his dick against her.

He reached around her and started to stroke her lips. "Yes you do." Barry teases.

Iris moaned again at his actions. "Just this once." She replies and Barry smiles as he slips inside of her.

"Like putty in my hands." He states triumphantly as he moves in and out of her.

 

 

* * *

 

Barry and Iris finished up their shower and made their way to several stores to buy what they needed for the party. They were both looking forward to it. They had both decided that they were glad that Iris absently thought of it. Having a party wasn't on either of their minds. But they were happy to be hosting their first party as a couple. Iris was in her bedroom rummaging through her bathing suits trying to decide which one to wear. She decided on a red one since that's Barry's and her favorite color. She actually wanted him to wear red swim trunks so that they would match. She slipped on her bikini and was putting on her cover up when Barry walked into her room. He was wearing red swim trunks and a tee-shirt. Iris had to smile at that. She and Barry were like bookends. They really were soul mates that could reach each other's minds. It sounded and seemed totally cliché, but it was the truth.

"I was hoping you were going to wear red. I'm sorry I missed you putting it on." He says as she sits on her bed.

Iris smiled. "Just think of how nice it will be when I take this off and we put on our show. You just have to promise to keep your cool when Patty and Eddie start their mess." She says as she eyes him.

"I promise. As long as he doesn't touch you." Barry says honestly.

"Oh god. I hope he doesn't touch me. I remember how he had his hands all over me when we danced at the ball ." Iris says and cringes at the thought.

"I was there. It made me mad, but I didn't know why I was mad. I wanted to punch him. And then the way he looked at you made my blood boil." Barry says as he clenches his jaw just remembering how it made him feel.

"Eddie won't be an issue after tonight. I'm going to do my best to set him and Patty up. I don't know Eddie or Patty that well, but I think he'd be perfect for her. They’re both thirsty. He isn't really a bad guy, is he?" Iris wonders.

"No. At least I don't think so. He just likes to be competitive. I honestly don't care if they get together or not. I just want him to know that you aren't available to him at all." Barry says.

Iris reaches for his hand. "I actually have to agree with you. It will all work out. Let's go. Our guests should be arriving soon." She says as she pulls him to his feet.

"Can we have a quickie before our guests arrive?" Barry asks and Iris just stares at the expression he has on his face.

"No, we can't have a quickie. I'm putting you on sexual punishment. You need to practice some self-control. I remember telling you that before." She says and just leaves her bedroom to make him think she's serious.

He followed her and gave her that look. That look that she has seen since they were 5. The look he used on so many teachers and their mothers to get his way. She was trying not to fall for it. "Sexual punishment? I didn't say anything bad enough for that." He stepped closer to her. "But I'm sorry. Do you forgive me?" He asks and gives her that look again.

"Get away from me Barry." Iris jokes and tries to walk away from him.

Barry grabs her and pulls her back into a kiss. "I knew you were just bluffing. You can't stay mad at me." He says.

"You're right, I can't. You buy me nice things." Iris says and then laughs.

Barry playfully puts his hand on his chest. "Ouch! That really hurts. You're breaking my heart. Tell me that you like me for more than just the fact that I buy you nice things." He says as he tries to look sad and reel her in with that look.

Iris pretends to think for a moment. "Um, well, you do have this great body. Plus I get to live here for free." She says and smiles as she puts her arms around his neck. "One more thing, you're hot, you're my best friend, and I love you dearly."

Barry smiles and puts his hands on her ass. "That was three things." He says to correct her.

Iris smiles at him again. "What can I say? I have a lot of reasons for liking you. I think we do have time for that quickie you mentioned." She says and grabs his hand to head for her bedroom when they hear the buzzer for the front door, alerting them that someone has arrived for the party.

Barry lowers his head and pouts. "Cockblocked by the bell." He says and breaks away from Iris. "I'll go. I think it will be better to let everyone come here first and then head to the pool."

"I think you're right. I'm going to order the pizzas while you get the door." Iris says as she grabs her phone to place the order and Barry goes to get the door. He was relieved to see many of their guests when he got to the front door. Diggle and Lyla were there, as well as Kendra, Marina, and Cisco. Laurel was walking up to the door with Felicity. He saw Cisco talking to Lyla and Diggle.

Barry opened the door and greeted their guests. "You guys can head on up. Iris is up there waiting. I'll wait for a few more of our guests to arrive. I hope everyone is here to have fun." He says and smiles.

"Of course we are. Thanks for inviting us." Laurel says and leads the way. She and Felicity are the only one that has been to Barry and Iris' place before. She was slyly checking out Cisco and he was doing the same. Barry waited a few minutes and others started arriving. Linda and Eddie arrived together. His friends Oliver and Ronnie, along with his wife Caitlin arrived together a mere 5 minutes later. The only person not there yet was Patty. They all just headed up to the apartment and started to mingle. Their neighbors in the building came and the party started off great. Patty finally came and Iris went to let her in.

Iris was happy to see the look on Patty’s face when she saw her and not Barry. "Hey, Patty. I see you decided to be fashionably late." She jokes.

"Of course I did. I had to make an entrance. Is Barry's girlfriend here?" She asks subtly.

Iris smiles at that being the first question she asked her. "Yes, she's here." She answers truthfully.

Patty frowned a little then had a devilish grin form on her face that Iris didn't know how to feel about now that she was Barry's girlfriend. She wondered exactly what she was up to. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No. Seriously single at the moment. I’ve had my eye on Barry since I transferred here, but I don’t think he’s caught on yet. I kept waiting for him to ask me out and It never happened. When Eddie told me that he was interested in you and that you and Barry were just friends, I got a little hopeful. That is until he told me he had a new girlfriend. I figured that since they’ve only been together a short while, he might decide she’s not for him and give me a chance. I think we have so much in common. He’s the only guy that got my Monty Python jokes.”

Iris really didn’t know what to say to that because Patty was really going to get her feelings hurt if she thinks that Barry will get with her. “Yeah, Bear is a huge nerd when it comes to stuff like that. I’m used to it since we’ve been friends so long.”

“Bear?”

“Yeah. I call him Bear. It started when we were younger and never went away. I’m the only person that calls him that.” Iris says to let her know to not even think of calling Barry by her name for him.

“How long have you two been friends?”

“Since we were 5.”

“Wow. That’s a long time. I guess it was easy since you two are just friends. He’s like your brother, right?”

Iris looked at her and just smiled. Barry was nowhere near her brother. Not even close. She could never do the things she’s done with Barry, with her brother if she had one. She was happy when the elevator door opened and Barry stepped off.

"Hey, Barry." Patty says seductively and Iris forced herself not to frown.

"Hey, Patty." Barry says flatly. He didn't want to give her any ideas.

"I'm meeting the delivery guy since he has so many pizzas. I'll be right up." He says and heads for the front entrance after holding the door for them and they step on.

Patty moved her head and stared at Barry as he headed towards the door and the elevator door closed. "Wow. It seems like Barry has gotten sexier since I last saw him. I can't wait to make this girlfriend of his jealous." She says, and playfully giggles, not knowing she's talking to his girlfriend.

Iris saw red but says nothing. She isn't in the mood for Patty’s shenanigans. She doesn't want to ruin a good party, but Patty needed to pump her brakes. She could just tell her, but that isn't in the plan. They just head for the apartment and Iris and Patty walk in. "Hey guys. This is Patty, for those who haven't met her." Iris says to break up what she's feeling.

They're met with an onslaught of greetings from the people already in the apartment. "I guess the party can finally start since I'm here." She says and scans the room with her eyes. She's looking for the one she thinks is Barry's girlfriend. She leaned towards Iris and whispered in her ear. "Which one is she?" She wonders.

Iris lightly laughs. "You'll have to figure that out on your own." She says. Moments later, Barry walks in with the delivery guy and a barrage of pizzas. Shortly after that, the party starts to pick up. Everyone started eating their pizza and wings and enjoying themselves. Seemingly like second nature, the women all migrate together and start talking, while the guys do the same. Iris slightly looked over at the guys and Barry gave her a wink. She saw Eddie eyeing her and it was starting to make her uncomfortable. She decided to focus on the girls she was talking to.

Eddie was standing with the group of guys and was deeply impressed with the selection of hot women at the party. He had to admit that Iris had some hot friends. His eye was on her though. He kept looking at her in the white coverup she was wearing and the strings he saw from a red bikini tied around her neck. He couldn't wait to see her take it off and see how hot she looked in that red bikini. He was subtly checking out the one named Felicity too. She was pretty. All of them were. Iris was his first choice and Felicity was second. He'd give the other ones a shot too. Except for the married ones. He was just casually looking around when he saw Iris and Patty looking over at them. He wondered who they were looking at. He saw Barry wink in that direction, but he didn't know who the wink was for. He decided to try and find out. "You weren't lying Barry. Iris does have some hot friends." He says and takes a sip of his beer.

"Yeah, they are hot. All of them." Oliver says. Diggle gives Oliver a little look. "Sorry, man. Your wife is hot. Just stating a fact. I'm not trying to steal her away from you." He says in a nice tone.

"It's ok. I'm glad you think my wife is hot. I do too." Diggle says and smiles.

"So what's their stories?" Cisco asks.

"Well, I think all of them are single, except for Kendra, Lyla, Caitlin, and Lori, of course." Barry says and takes a sip of his own beer. Iris wasn't single by any means, but he couldn't reveal that yet. "Oh, Felicity's a lesbian."

Oliver's face lights up and he looks over at them. "Which one is Felicity again?" He wonders.

"The blonde one in the blue." Barry says.

"Nice. I love lesbians." Oliver says and some of the guys laugh.

Patty was still trying to figure out who Barry's girlfriend is. She didn't want to outright ask who she was. She saw him give a wink but she couldn't tell who he was winking at. She felt like playing games and making the girlfriend mad. "So, the guys here are pretty hot." Patty says.

"Yeah, they are. Especially the one named Cisco." Laurel says and Kendra agrees.

Caitlin smiles. "Sorry, but I only think one of them is hot." She says.

Patty felt a bell go off. "Which one?" She questions, thinking she'll point out Barry.

Caitlin points to Ronnie. "The cute one with the dark hair wearing the orange shirt." She says and smiles again.

Patty looked over and sized Ronnie up and let it go. "Well, I say the hottest ones in the room are Barry and Eddie." She says in a taunting tone. "Barry’s more my type though because of the awkward nerd thing." She says and sips her cooler.

Iris took a sip of her drink to mask her frown. "I think so too." Marina says and Patty had another bell go off in her head. She figured that she was Barry's girlfriend and immediately started sizing her up. Marina was short and curvy, with auburn hair down to her waist and was very pretty.

"Yeah, Barry is hot, in an adorkable way. Don't know how you're just best friends with him. I'm taken, but I'm not blind." Lori, Barry and Iris' neighbor says.

"Barry is hot. So is Cisco, the one named Oliver. And the one named Eddie." Laurel says.

"I think Eddie is pretty cute." Linda says. "Oliver too."

"What about you, Iris?" Patty asks trying to goad her into talking.

Iris took another sip of her drink. "Are you guys ready to play a game or head to the pool?" She asks after changing the subject.

"I vote for a game. We can all get to know each other better that way." Kendra suggests.

"You can't just change the subject like that, Iris." Patty says playfully.

"What? I'm just trying to be a good hostess. All of my guests are gorgeous, hot, and attractive." She says and smiles to play it off.

"I'm up for games too." Felicity says after finally talking. She was there just to have fun. She was a lesbian, but could still find men attractive. She just didn't want to stand around and talk about it all night. "Then we can play games in the pool. That way you won't have to worry about people wetting your place up."

"That's a good idea." Iris says and summons the guys. "We're going to play a game you guys." She says after she has everyone's attention

"What game?" Oliver asks, hoping it's something involving them getting drunk and naked.

Iris looks around and feels Eddie and Barry watching her. Eddie was giving her the creeps. "Anyone have any suggestions as to what we should play?" She asks and hopes that Eddie doesn't speak up and suggest something like naked Twister or something.

"How about Adult Truth or Dare. Everyone gets one question or dare that they don't have to answer or do." Laurel says.

"Truth or dare? Really?" Linda asks sarcastically.

Patty started thinking devious thoughts again. "I think it's a great idea." She says as the mischievous grin forms on her face. She was going to have a lot of fun playing truth or dare.

Iris could have killed Laurel for suggesting that they play Truth or Dare. She expected a lot of trouble and chaos to stem from that. Any other time she would be all for playing a game of Truth or Dare with friends, but she had the inkling and the nagging feeling that Patty would try something. Eddie too. They might want to act out something they would be dying to see. She didn't know Eddie that well, Patty either. But she knew they were both up to something. Then she kept worrying about Barry's girlfriend. Patty had no idea that Iris is Barry's girlfriend, so she knows for a fact that she's going to try something. She could just picture her daring Barry to kiss her or something. Or try to make him admit something. She would probably ask him to do something regarding her to get the girlfriend upset. Now they had to play Truth or Dare. This was just lovely.

Patty had that devilish and mischievous grin on her face. Iris couldn't help but see it. She wasn't even trying to hide it. Iris wondered who she thought was Barry's girlfriend. She more than likely thought it was Marina or Kendra. Her money was on Marina because Patty kept eyeing her. Iris saw her size her up several times. Iris just smiled to herself knowing that Patty was completely wrong in her assumptions. She kept thinking about that until she thought of something. Iris finally remembered to take pictures of their party to have something to remember. It was something any good hostess would do. She went to get her digital camera instead of just taking pictures on her phone. It would make it easier to keep them all in one place. Plus she wouldn't have to keep a close eye on her phone. And she wanted a picture to cherish forever when she saw the look on Eddie and Patty's faces when they found out that she and Barry were a couple. Seemed like an alright thing to do to her.

Iris walked up with her camera and snapped a picture of Laurel and Patty. "Say cheese." Iris says and they both posed this time for the picture. Iris walked around and took a lot more pictures of everyone.

Barry had a bad feeling about the game they were about to play. He saw the way Patty kept looking at him. He knew that Patty was up to something. Then he noticed how Iris seemed to be a little pissed off even though she was taking pictures. She must be thinking the same thing he's thinking about Patty. Then he had to worry about Eddie. He kept staring at Iris the same way he did at the ball. Like she was a piece of meat. Like she was on the menu. Like she was a bottle of water and he was in the hot desert. Every time Eddie looked her way, he got more pissed off.

Iris looked over at Barry and could tell that he was pissed off. She knew all of his actions and emotions and knew that he was. She was too. She knew that he felt the same way she did and knew they were feeling that way together. Iris just gave him a friendly smile and took more pictures. She just shrugged and decided to suck it up and play the damn game. Couldn't too much go on anyway. Besides, it was just a game. A friendly game between adults. "Ok, so is everyone ready to get started?" Iris asks the entire room. She was met with a series of 'Yes', so she waved everyone over to the living room area. She gave Barry a signal to tell him to get the stools from the kitchen and he did that with Cisco's help. Once everyone was settled comfortably, they decided to begin. Iris clapped her hands. "I guess we'll go over a few ground rules. Rule number 1. All dares have to be done inside of this apartment. Rule number 2. Respect the people who are married and not have them do something that would upset their spouse. Rule number 3. Absolutely nothing too sexual asked as a dare. Rule number 4. Everyone gets one bail out if they're asked to do something or admit something that they don't want to do or fess up to. And rule number 5. Everyone have fun. Are there any questions about the rules or does someone want to add a rule?" Iris states and looks around.

"I have a question." Patty says.

"Sure, Patty. What is it?" Iris asks.

Patty grinned. "What do you mean by, 'absolutely nothing too sexual asked as a dare'? What exactly do you mean by that?" She wonders as she continues to grin.

"It means that you can't dare someone to give out a blowjob or dare people to actually have sex. I hope that's not a problem because if it is, we will not be playing this game." Iris says and looks around. Everyone seems to be in agreement, but she can't be sure. She looked over at Barry and knew that he was thinking something dirty, but she had to ignore it until their guests were gone home. "Any more questions?" She asks.

"It's not a question, but a rule. Everyone gets a turn and the person you pick goes next." Lori says to the entire room.

"Great rule, Lori. That way no one feels left out. Anyone else have something to add?" Iris asks and looks around the room again.

"I have one too. You have to have a penalty for not answering something or not doing a dare. We decide as a group what the penalty is." Kendra.

"How did I forget all of this? I guess it's because I haven't played truth or dare since college. Remember, Linda?" Iris asks and looks at Linda who forms a smile. "Ok, I think we've covered everything, right?" She asks and looks around. "One more thing. I'm taking pictures of all dares. Any objections? No? Great. So, I'll go first. Linda, Truth or dare?" Iris asks and smiles at her friend from college.

"Why are you picking on me first?" Linda wonders.

"Because you're cute and little. Truth or dare?" Iris asks again.

"Truth." Linda says and tries not to frown.

"If you were to receive a sex toy as a gift, what would you prefer? A vibrator or dildo?" Iris asks and Laurel bursts out laughing.

"What kind of question is that?" Linda wonders.

"I think it's a good one." Kendra says.

Linda did frown this time. "I guess I'd have to say a vibrator because they get the job done." Linda says to a few laughs. She looks around and decides to pick on Kendra since she spoke up. "Kendra, truth or dare?"

"Truth" Kendra answers.

"Have you ever used a flavored condom?" Linda asks and smiles.

"I sure have. They taste horrible." Kendra answers. She looks around the same way Linda did. She really didn't know anyone there but Iris and Marina, but decided to play hard. "Oliver, truth or dare?"

"Oh, dare. I'm not admitting to anything." He says and a few people laugh.

"I dare you to kiss someone you've never met until tonight for 5 seconds." Kendra says.

Oliver grinned. "Oh, that's easy." He says and walks up to Felicity. He grabbed her face and started to kiss her while everyone counted. Oliver had the biggest grin on his face when they finished. Iris got a great picture of that. "My turn now." He says once he goes back to his seat. He looked directly at Eddie. "Eddie, truth or dare?"

"Truth." He replies. He figured he'd get to dare someone else to do something. He knew for certain he was picking either Barry or Iris.

"Name two women in this room you would have a threesome with." Oliver says.

"Iris and Felicity." Eddie says without hesitation. Barry's blood started to boil, but he kept it cool. Iris was instantly uncomfortable, but didn't let it show. They both knew that the other was upset. They knew each other that well.

"You didn't even take time to think about that one, did you? It must have already been on your mind." Oliver says.

"True." Eddie answers and looks around. "What can I say? They're both hot."

Patty gives Eddie a smile at that, but Iris subtly glanced at Barry who was all kinds of upset. Only Iris could pick up on it because she knew him so well. Everyone else thought he was fine.

Please don't pick me. Please don't pick me. Please don't pick me. Iris thought since Eddie just went. She wasn't in the mood for him to ask her anything or to dare her to do something.

"It's your turn to ask someone." Laurel says to Eddie who seems to be somewhere else.

Everyone turns to look at Eddie. "Sorry, I just had visions of that threesome run through my head." Eddie says and most of the people in the room laugh. Everyone except for Barry, Iris, Linda, and Cisco. Eddie then looked right at Iris. "Iris, truth or dare?" He asks as he deadpans her.

Dammit! Iris thought. "Uh, I guess, truth." She says and hopes he doesn't ask her if she wants to sleep with him.

"Do you want to sleep with any of the guys in the room?" He asks and stares at her.

Iris knew he would ask her something like that. The good thing is, she can actually tell the truth. She smiled widely. "Yes." She admits. Eddie kept staring at her, thinking she was talking about him.

"Who is it, Iris?" Patty asks.

Iris looked directly at her. "It's not your turn, Patty." She says playfully. "Ok, who do I pick on now?" Iris says as she scans the room. She can feel Eddie and Patty's eyes on her. "Felicity, darling. Truth or dare?"

"Dare. I came here to have fun." She says to a chorus of laughs.

"Alright. Give a lap dance to the guy you would sleep with if you were straight." Iris says and a few of the guys whistle.

Always one to have fun and be the life of the party as well, Felicity stood and walked over to Eddie. Oliver was disappointed, but still a good sport. She politely started to give him a lap dance and he turned red from it. Felicity must have a stripper hiding in her somewhere, because she really gave him a lap dance that turned Eddie on. A few people recorded it and Iris had some great pictures of it. When she finished, the whole room cheered for her. Felicity took a bow and went and sat back down. Eddie was still red minutes later. "I guess it's my turn." Felicity says and looks directly at Barry. "Barry, my old friend, Barry. Truth or dare."

"I'm here to have fun too. Dare." He says and smiles.

"Put on lipstick and kiss a guy." Felicity says, thinking Barry will say no.

Barry got a devilish grin on his face. "Who has lipstick? Never mind, I'll use one of Iris'." He says and goes to her room to get it. He came back out and put it on. Everyone was looking to see who he was going to kiss. Barry goes up to Cisco. "Stand up bro." Everyone was looking on, wondering what Cisco would do.

"Wait! I need a picture of this." Kendra says and gets up to get the camera from Iris. "Carry on."

Cisco stood and Barry grabbed his face and kissed him. Everybody in the room cheered. Cisco laughed and sat back down. Barry went back to his seat while he was wiping the lipstick off. "Ok, who's the next victim?" He looks around and stops at Cisco. "Cisco, my buddy. Since we just kissed, I’ll pick on you. Truth or dare?" Barry asks.

"I guess I'm in that here to have fun group too. Dare." Cisco says.

"I dare you to put on a blindfold and kiss Laurel twice somewhere on her body." Barry says and winks at Laurel. He knows she likes Cisco and wants to give her a hand.

"Alright. Where's the blindfold?" Cisco asks. Laurel took the belt off her dress and handed it to him. She was eager to let him kiss her. Cisco put on the blindfold. Laurel held out her hand first and Cisco kissed that. Then she grabbed his head and put it to her chest. Everybody went wild. They didn't think Laurel would go that far. Cisco took off his blindfold and winked at Laurel. She was tickled pink. Iris thought she could see hearts in her eyes when she took her picture.

"This game is getting good." Linda says. "I'm sorry I was skeptical about it at first."

"It is. I'm having a blast." Marina says.

"Alright, Marina. Your turn. Truth or dare?" Cisco asks.

"Dare, baby." She says and smiles.

"I dare you to make out with another girl." Cisco says. Oliver gets excited. Seeing girls kiss is a huge turn on to him.

"Is that all?" She says and walks up to Felicity. Marina didn't tell anyone that she's bi, and has been eyeing Felicity all night. She starts to kiss Felicity and Oliver nearly loses it. He watched them make out like he was on stake out with binoculars. He held up his phone and recorded it while he stared at them. Iris of course took pictures. Felicity and Marina really got into their kiss until Kendra cleared her throat. Marina pulled away. "Sorry, I got a little carried away there." She says and goes to sit down. She and Felicity are stealing subtle glances at each other. They both understood that that's not the last time they'll kiss. "Ok, I guess I have to pick someone. Patty. You haven't had a turn yet. Truth or dare?" Marina asks.

"I guess I'll follow the trend and go with dare." She says and smiles. She hopes it's a good one.

"I dare you to put a condom on a banana just using your mouth." Marina says and grins.

"Dare accepted." Patty says and reaches goes to get her purse that's on the kitchen counter. She also got a banana that was on the counter and brought it back. She opened the condom and easily slid it on the banana. A lot of the guys in the room got turned. Especially Eddie, Cisco and Oliver. Diggle got uncomfortable and so did Adam, Barry and Iris' neighbor and Lori's husband. Barry was unaffected because Patty didn't do anything for him like she thought she did. All of the guys that were turned on and a few women gave a round of applause. Patty grinned. "Next time give me something harder to do." She says in a sexy tone.

"You really could have done it with something harder." Kendra says and they all laugh.

"Well, since I just went, it's my turn to pick someone." She figured it was time to pick on Laurel. "Laurel, truth or dare?"

"Um, I guess dare. Why the hell not?" She asks and people chuckle.

"I dare you to put on the blindfold and kiss someone. You won't know who you're kissing." Patty says. "You have to spin around first to make it fair."

"Alright, what the hell." She says and puts on the blindfold. She stands and turns around and walks on unsteady feet up to Lyla. She gave her a nice kiss on the lips and Diggle got uncomfortable again. He had never seen his wife kiss another woman before and couldn't believe it made him a little hot. Iris got a picture of that and Diggle's reaction.

"You alright over there, Diggle?" Cisco asks and people laugh.

Laurel took off her blindfold and realized she had kissed Lyla. Lyla was a little flustered herself, but it was all in good fun. Diggle cleared his throat and couldn't even answer.

"It looks like I'm not the only that likes to see two girls kiss." Oliver says. People laugh and Diggle becomes more flustered.

"Isn't it Laurel's turn now?" He asks to take the heat off himself.

Laurel goes back to sit down. "Yes, it's my turn. I don't know who to pick." She looks around. "Barry, truth or dare?" She asks.

"Truth." He says.

"I thought you were here to have fun?" Oliver asks.

"I am. I feel like being honest this round." Barry says.

Patty looked a little pissed off, but was trying to hide it. "Have you ever made a sex tape and if so, with whom?" Laurel asked.

Barry let out his signature grin. "Yes, I have. And lets just say that she's in this room." He answers and everyone looks around to see who he's talking about.

"I want to know who Barry made a sex tape with." Patty says.

"Me too." Oliver says.

"it is not either of your turns." Kendra says.

"It sure isn't." Iris says and smiles. "Barry, it is your turn though."

Barry looked around. "I guess I should ask someone who hasn't gone yet. Lori, truth or dare?" He asks.

"I guess I'll pick dare. I need a little excitement in my life." She says and a few people laugh.

"Give your husband a hard on without touching him." Barry says.

"That is too easy." She says and goes up to Marina. She started to kiss her knowing that her husband likes that and curvy women. She stopped kissing Marina and walked up to Adam and grabbed his crotch. "Done." She says and the room went wild. Adam just shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "I guess I'll pick someone who hasn't gone yet. Ronnie, truth or dare?" She asks as she goes back to her seat.

"Truth. I'm scared of what you might dare me to do." He says a little sheepishly.

"It's ok, Ronnie. If you could have sex with another woman in this room besides your wife, who would it be?" Lori questions.

Ronnie became flustered and looked at his wife. "Go ahead honey, it's just a game." Caitlin says.

"Yeah, it's just a game." Diggle says.

"I guess...Marina or Felicity." Ronnie says in a shy tone. He immediately picked someone else. "Diggle, you haven't had a turn yet. Truth or dare?" He asks.

"Dare. And don't give me a wimpy dare either." Diggle says to lots of laughs.

"Alright. I dare you to let Lyla give you a hand job." Ronnie says. A few were shocked that he would suggest something so raunchy.

"I didn't know you had that in you, Ronnie. I'm deeply impressed." Iris says to a lot of people agreeing.

"It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for." Kendra says. "Hence his quiet wife. Their sex life is probably better than ours." She says and a few people laugh.

"Speak for yourself." Iris says and Patty and Eddie look over at her. Barry got a satisfactory grin on his face that Iris peeped.

"Ok, now. Back to the dare." Linda says. She would love to see this play out.

"I'm game." Diggle says and all eyes are now on Lyla.

"I thought we said nothing too sexual." She says.

"That's not too sexual. You don't even have to show us. You can just stick your hand down his shorts." Lori says.

"I don't want to." Lyla says and everybody starts booing her. "What? I was just kidding." She says and walks over to Diggle and sticks her hands down his shorts. She grabbed his penis and started to stroke it. She rubbed it between her hands and it really didn't take much for her to get him off. She removed her hands when he started to ejaculate. "I do get to wash my hands, right?" She asks to a stunned crowd. Diggle has the look of euphoria on his face.

"I insist." Iris says and they all laugh as Lyla heads to the kitchen to wash her hands.

Patty was still eyeing Barry and who she thought was his girlfriend. She still has doing something sexual with Barry on her mind while also trying to figure out who Barry made the sex tape with plaguing her. She wanted to know who his girlfriend is and make her jealous.

"I guess it's my turn. Only two people haven't gone yet. So, I'll pick on Adam. Adam, truth or dare?" Diggle asks as he still tries to come down from the high of Lyla giving him a hand job.

“Dare. I'm here to have fun too." He says.

"Ok, I dare you to motorboat Marina's boobs." Diggle says.

Adam looked ridiculously delighted by his dare. He looked over at Lori who just smiled and gave him the signal to go ahead. She's extremely comfortable in her marriage with Adam and doesn't mind this little game they're playing with friends and people they just met. Adam walked over to Marina and stuck his face between her ample breasts and started to motorboat them. The entire group went crazy. They were seriously having a good time. When he finished, he had the same look Diggle just had on his face. "I feel like a new man." Adam says and people continue to go crazy. Iris got a few good shots of that and the room going crazy because of it.

"This game is awesome." Oliver says. "I can't wait to have another dare."

"Me too." Cisco agrees.

"Alright, alright. Settle down folks." Kendra says.

"Yes, it's Adam's turn." Iris says.

Adam sort of stumbled over to his seat. "Wow. Ok, I guess I'll pick on quiet little Lyla here. Truth or dare?" He asks.

"Truth." Lyla says.

"Ok, who do you think is the most well endowed guy in the room. You can't pick your husband." He says.

Lyla turns a shade of red. She looks around the room. "Cisco." She says and then blushes.

"Awww, she's blushing." Linda says.

"Probably because it's true." Kendra says and a few of the women start to cackle. Linda high fives her.

"Who knows if it's true?" Marina asks and Patty looks directly at her.

"It is so not your turn, Marina." Iris says.

"Oh, right. It's Lyla's. Go ahead Lyla." Marina says.

"I think we should have a penis show-off." Kendra says and she and Linda crack up. They have warmed up to each other well.

"A penis show-off? No thank you." Felicity says to a room full of laughs.

"I think we should have that penis show-off too." Marina says. "Felicity can sit this one out." She says and looks at the look Iris is giving her. "Right. It's Lyla's turn."

Lyla looks around and picks on Iris this time. "Iris, truth or dare?" She asks.

"I guess I'll pick dare since I haven't done one." Iris answers sure that Lyla won't ask her to do anything too crazy.

"I dare you to give Barry a hickey on his neck and another area of his body." Lyla says and smiles.

"See? I told you it's the quiet ones." Kendra says.

"We need to come up with a penalty because there's no way Iris is doing that." Linda says surely, just to make it interesting.

"Oh, really?" Iris asks.

"Yeah, really." Linda counters.

"I smell a challenge." Lori says. "And I'll take that camera miss, since you're doing the dare."

Iris just got up and tossed the camera to Lori. She then walked over to Barry and straddled his waist. She started to kiss his neck and started to suck on it giving him a hickey. He didn't even try to stop himself from getting aroused because Iris really turned him on. He got turned on just watching her stand at the stove or do laundry. Since he saw her naked, everything that Iris did turned him on. He did force himself not to grab her ass and really shock the room. She continued to suck on his neck until she was satisfied. She then got off his waist and got on her knees in front of him. Eddie was starting to get aroused too. Barry was already there. She just lifted his shirt and started to kiss and suck on his abdomen, right above his crotch. She did that until Barry started to squirm under her. She was finally satisfied that she had successfully marked her territory. She gave Barry a wink and got from on her knees in front of him. Patty herself was so turned on that she turned red. Iris gave her the mischievous grin this time as she walked back to her seat.

"I thought you two were best friends?" Eddie asks.

"We are." Barry says.

"I need a best friend like that." He says and the group laughs.

"I guess it's my turn. Oliver. I'll make you my victim. Truth or dare?" Iris asks and gives him a playful wink.

"Dare. I already told you guys that I'm not admitting anything." Oliver says.

"Ok, I dare you to do a naked handstand." Iris says as she gets the camera ready.

Oliver stood up and scanned the room. He just took off his clothes without a word and went over to the wall and did the handstand. "I'm not afraid, Iris." He says once he finishes and put his clothes back on. A few of the girls became a little hot and bothered. Oliver was hot, even if he had asshole tendencies sometimes. "Alright, I guess I can pick on my friend, Barry. Barry, truth or dare?" Oliver asks.

"Dare. I'm not afraid either." Barry says and people laugh again. They are really having a good time at this party.

"I dare you to re-enact some of the stuff with the girl you made that sex tape with." Oliver says. He's dying to know which chick was brazen enough to let Barry make a sex tape.

"Alright." Barry says and stands and looks around the room. Everyone was wondering who he was going to pick. He walked up to Laurel first, and then smiled. He walked up to Marina and shook his head and was on the move again. Then he stopped at Lyla. She became flustered and started laughing. "I wouldn't do that to you, Diggle." Barry says and everyone laughs. He walks up to Patty, and she got a devilish grin on her face, even though she knows she didn't make a sex tape with Barry. "Sorry, Patty. I got confused there for a minute." Barry says. He walks around some more and finally stops at Iris and pulls her to her feel. They started kissing as Barry sat down in her seat and she straddled his waist. Everyone had the same look they had with their last dare but it was worse this time. Barry and Iris continued to kiss like no one else was in the room. Nobody even thought to take pictures of that. They were too engrossed in watching them kiss like they aren't best friends and have been since they were toothless.

"Wait a minute." Laurel says.

"What the hell?" Felicity asks in shock.

"Is this a joke?" Ronnie asks. Almost everyone in the room was shocked to see Barry and Iris kissing like they were lovers. Everyone except for Linda. No one else knew that they were together.

Patty was finally starting to understand as well as the rest of the room. "What is going on? You and Barry need to stop kidding around. What kind of joke is this?" Linda asks, almost in horror just to add fuel to the growing fire.

"I don't think they're joking." Kendra says.

"No shit." Oliver says and takes a sip from his beer. He was getting ready to enjoy the show that he knew was coming after that kiss.

"Barry and Iris. Do we have to get the hose on you two?" Laurel asks in a condescending, but playful tone.

Barry and Iris finally break their kiss and come up for air. Iris turned and looked around the room. "You guys still don't get it?" Iris asks as she climbs off Barry and readjusts herself in his lap.

"You and Barry made a sex tape? I thought you two were just friends since you were 5?" Patty asks in an incredulous tone. She can't even wrap her mind around it though it isn't that farfetched. She thought they were just friends.

"Oh, we did more than that." Iris says and grins. “And we were just best friends, but shit happens.”

"What?" Patty asks, still not ready to accept reality.

"Barry and I are together, Patty. I’m the girlfriend you wanted to make mad." Iris says and smiles as Barry rests his hand on Iris' thigh.

"I knew it!" Adam says.

"You knew what?" Barry wonders.

"I knew something changed between you two. I noticed it the day I saw you guys and you invited us to the party. I just knew something was different." Adam says.

"He did say that when he came in. I pretty much ignored him." Lori says.

Once everybody got over the initial shock of seeing them going at it, people started to liven up. Cisco reached in his pocket and handed Diggle some money. People watched the exchange and wondered what was going on.

“What’s going on?” Barry asks.

“Oh, Dig and I just bet each other that you two were going to get together. He guessed that you’d be together by the time this party happened. I guessed a little longer from now.” Cisco says.

“You guys actually bet on us?” Barry asks.

“Yup. We saw you two at that ball and knew there was no way you two would continue to just be friends.” Cisco replies.

“He’s right. Then the way you two just left. I figured you guys cut out of there to get it on after that dance.” Diggle adds.

Everyone else is starting to come to terms with what they just witnessed and discovered. Patty and Eddie were both pissed off. They both wanted each one in the relationship but knew that was impossible since Barry and Iris have so much history.

"So this is the guy you've been so happy about?" Kendra asks.

"Yes." Iris confesses truthfully. “Sorry, Eddie.”

"It's alright. I just wish Barry would've said you were taken before I kept talking about you." Eddie states a little bitterly.

"Sorry about that, Eddie." Barry says and Eddie squints his eyes to look at him in hostility it seemed. Barry flashed his goofy grin and then laughed.

"Why didn't you just tell me to lay off talking about your girl?" Eddie wonders.

"I could have, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise. We were keeping it a secret until the party." Barry admits, though he doesn't have a thing to be sorry about.

"So when did all of this happen?" Laurel asks.

"Excuse me. Does us discovering that Barry and Iris are banging mean that the game is over?" Oliver asks.

"We are not just banging, Oliver." Barry says to his impatient and outspoken friend.

"You know what I mean." Oliver says.

"No, it doesn't have to be." Iris says.

"Can we play something else?" Linda suggests.

"Something else like what?" Kendra wonders.

"I don't know. Like a truth game. Someone asks a question and admits to everything they've done." Linda says.

"You mean the 'Have you ever?' game." Lori says.

"I guess we can play that. Is everyone in agreement? Or are you guys ready to go to the pool?" Iris wonders. She's blissfully happy still sitting on Barry's lap even though she feels Patty and Eddie giving them the evil eye.

"I say we play more games. You guys are the best bunch of folks I've ever played truth or dare with." Marina admits.

"I know, right? I'm having so much fun. I don't want to leave." Kendra says.

"I say Barry and Iris show us that sex tape they made." Oliver says and Cisco whistles in agreement.

Barry laughed. "Hell no. That tape was for me and Iris. No one else will ever see that."

"I still can't believe you kept this from me. I'm your best friend." Linda states sadly. "Well, your other best friend."

“Heiffer, you knew.” Iris says and she and Linda laugh.

“Who else knew?” Felicity asks and looks around.

"It was kind of hard to hide. I thought you two were married when I first met you. I really couldn't believe you were just best friends. You two just seemed perfect for each other. We all just knew you guys were together when you left the party suddenly." Lyla says.

"I thought that too. I even said you two were full of shit when you just up and left." Cisco says.

"Are you two getting married?" Laurel wonders.

Barry and Iris looked at each other before responding. "We talked about it." Iris says.

"Really? But you just got together." Patty says.

"Yeah, we just got together, but we've known each other forever. I'd be marrying my best friend." Barry says and smiles.

"That's really sweet. Can we play the game now?" Oliver asks.

"I thought you weren't admitting to anything?" Linda asks and smiles.

"This is different." Oliver says to his defense.

"How?" Linda asks just to taunt him.

"It's different because everyone will be admitting to things, not just me. Nobody will be embarrassed." Oliver says, though he's really just trying to find out who to exchange numbers with. "So, can we play now?"

"Ok, Oliver. God. You need to get laid." Barry says and everyone laughs at him.

"I think he's right." Ronnie says and pats Oliver on the back.

"Well, which one of these ladies will help me out with that?" Oliver wonders and looks directly at Felicity.

Felicity starts to shake her head. "Why are you looking at me? You don't have the right equipment. Get rid of the penis, and we can talk." She says and everyone howls.

"That is so unfair. I meet my dream girl and she's a lesbian. I wish I was a girl." Oliver says glumly, though he's totally joking.

"You know they have operations that can take care of that for you, right?" Cisco says.

Oliver looks on painfully and unconsciously grabbed his crotch. "No thanks." He says and almost shudders.

"Ok, so now that that's all cleared up, how do we play this game?" Lori asks. She's ready to have more fun and not let the night end.

"Is it like 'Never have I ever'?" Linda questions.

"Yeah, I guess. Ok, so one person asks a general question, usually about sex. You usually take shots when someone asks something that you have done." Kendra says.

"Nope. No shots. I don't want to have a drunken slumber party." Iris admits.

"You don't want us all to crash here? Except for Lori and Adam, of course." Laurel says and gets a sneaky grin on her face.

"Nope. I love you all, but nope. Barry and I are sleeping alone tonight." Iris says and grins.

"Even if we're too drunk to drive?" Linda questions.

"If you're too drunk to drive, I'll drive you myself." Iris confesses and smiles widely. She knows Patty would try something with that sleeping over crap, and she's not in the mood for it. Even though she doesn't feel like driving anyone anywhere, she will do it to not have any overnight guests. It isn't that kind of party. She loves their friends, but they all need to leave when the night is over. There are a few she would let stay, but she can't be unfair and pick and choose, so nobody is staying.

Patty slightly frowned at that. "What? You don't want anyone to walk in on you and Barry?" She asks in a sarcastic tone.

"That's exactly why you all need to leave." Iris admits and shrugs. She knows she just got Patty with her antics on trying to call her out, but she isn't succumbing to her games.

"So if we can't take shots, how will this game be any fun?" Patty inquires.

"You can take shots. I'm not stopping anyone from doing that. Just know that no matter how drunk you get, you have to go home." Iris says with finality.

"Fine." Patty says and admits defeat.

"I have an idea for the game. Why doesn't everybody write down their questions. I think it'll be more fun that way." Marina suggests.

"Great idea. I'll get things for everyone to write their questions. Patty and Oliver, you two are on bartender duty." Iris says as she gets up from Barry's lap and heads to her room. He got up and walked right behind her. He carefully shut and locked the door. He pulled her into his arms. "What are you up to?" She asks and smiles, as she settles into his arms.

"I just wanted to do that without everyone looking at us." Barry says and grins.

"I know. I feel like an exhibit at the museum." Iris admits.

"I know. But at least we got it out. I say Patty's reaction was the best, don't you think?" Barry questions.

"Yeah, she almost lost her mind. Eddie didn't seem too happy either." Iris responds.

"I say we set them up before the night is out. They can get over their bitterness with each other." Barry suggests.

"I think that's a great idea. We have to go before they think we're screwing." Iris say as she pulls away. She goes to get the post its she has and a few pens. She and Barry leave her bedroom and return to the party area to lots of eyes looking at them. They figured that would be the case.

"Quickie during the party?" Patty asks in a playfully sarcastic tone.

"Yes. We kind of needed it." Iris answers, knowing Patty wasn't expecting that. "Ok, I have post its and pens. Sharing is caring. I'll get a bowl to put your questions in. Don't get too crazy folks." She says and walks to the kitchen to get a bowl. Everyone started to settle down and get to writing their questions as Iris passed the bowl around. Once everyone is done, they get their second game underway. "Ok, so I think Oliver should start since he's the most eager to play this game." Iris says and smiles at Oliver.

"Alright." He says in triumph and a few people laugh.

"I just find it funny how the guy that didn't want to admit anything is excited to play this." Felicity says.

"I like you too, Felicity." Oliver says and reaches into the bowl.

"Oh, and to make this more interesting, the people who haven't done these things have to take the shot." Iris says and everyone agrees that’s the better idea.

"Have you ever had sex at work?" Oliver reads out loud. Nobody took a shot.

Oliver passed the bowl to Ronnie and he reached in. "Have you ever paid for sex?" He asks and all of the women take a shot. The women all look around at the men like they're pervs. "In defense of all my brothers, we pay for sex even if we didn't mean to." Ronnie says and they all agree. He passed the bowl to Adam.

Adam reached in and pulled out a slip. "Have you ever slept with a friend's boyfriend or girlfriend?" Everyone takes a shot except for Adam, Oliver, Marina, and Eddie. "In my defense, I was really young and dumb then. I lost a good friend because of that." Adam says.

"This is the no judgement zone, Adam. No need to apologize for anything that you've done." Iris says. "Agreed?" She asks around.

"Agreed!" They all say unanimously.

Adam passed the bowl to Felicity and she reached in this time. She smiled when she got her question. "Have you ever let someone of the same sex go down on you?" She and Marina high-fived each other. Everyone else took a drink as well, except for Patty.

She looked around. "What? Don't act so surprised." She says and a few people laugh. "My turn." She says and reaches in. "Have you ever had a threesome?" She needed to refill glasses quickly. She was shocked at the amount of people who haven't had one. "You guys need to live a little." She says as she refills the shot glasses. She passed the bowl to Kendra.

Kendra reached in and pulled out a yellow slip. "Have you ever had a one night stand?" She asks. Nobody but Caitlin and Ronnie take shots. No one said a word though. They were in the no judgement zone.

She passed to bowl to Linda who reached in. "Have you ever gone a whole day without wearing underwear?" Nobody took a shot. "We have a winner!" She says and everyone laughs.

Laurel reached into the bowl. "Have you ever thought a family member was hot?" She asks and makes a face. Everybody took shots except for Oliver.

"I'm sorry, but my second cousin is hot. I wouldn't touch her, but she is." Oliver says.

"No judgement zone, man. No judgement zone." Ronnie says.

Lori reached in and pulled out a slip. "Have you ever cross-dressed or worn undergarments of the opposite sex?" She asks and a lot of guests laugh. Nobody took a shot. "We have another winner here! I guess if you've been in college or a relationship, you've worn your partner’s clothes. I wear Adam's boxers all the time. They're comfortable." She says.

Everyone seems to be in total agreement with her answer. Lori passed the bowl to Marina and she reached in. "I wonder if I'll get a winner. Have you ever had sex in a car?" She reads out loud. Nobody takes a shot. "I got a winner." She says and laughs. She passed the bowl to Patty and she reached in a pulled out a post it.

"Have you ever had someone of the same-sex ever make a pass at you, or vice versa?" She looked around and nobody budged. "Wow. This group lives more than I thought." She says and passes the bowl to Eddie.

He reached in and smiled. He must have picked something he has done. "Have you ever been in an orgy?" He asks. He made no attempt to move. Most of the women took shots except for Felicity. Diggle and Oliver were the only guys to take one.

"College." A few people say together to many laughs. He passed the bowl to Cisco the cutie and reached in.

"Have you ever been videotaped?" He didn't mean to, but he looked right at Barry and Iris. "Sorry, but the sex tape is still fresh on my mind." He says. Nobody else takes a shot though.

Cisco passed the bowl to Lyla who turned red when she read her slip. She cleared her throat before reading it. "Uh...Wow...Uh...Have you ever swallowed after going down on someone?" She asks and remains red. The room went crazy after no one took a shot.

"Is that why you turned red?" Kendra asks and everyone laughs some more.

She just handed the bowl to her husband who reached in. "Have you ever had an orgasm while still fully clothed?" He asks. Nobody took a shot and they all laughed.

"If you haven't, then I think something is wrong with you." Adam says and they laugh some more.

Diggle passed the bowl to Barry, who had the same self-satisfied grin he had on his face since he and Iris revealed they are a couple. He had to hide his reaction when he reached in and read his slip. "Have you ever cheated on your boyfriend or girlfriend, past or present or would you ever cheat?" He asks. He hoped Iris didn't get the wrong idea when he didn't take a shot. A lot of people did take shots, but he felt like explaining. "It was something that I did in the past. You don't ever have to worry about me cheating on you." He confesses.

"Barry, I know that. But thanks for clarifying." She says and gives him a quick peck. Iris reached into the bowl and her eyes grew wide. "Have you ever tossed a salad?" the room practically went wild. They were shocked that only the women except for Felicity, Marina, and Patty took shots. "You people are gross." She jokes.

"Your boyfriend didn't take a shot though." Kendra says and the room erupts. Iris gave her a friendly wink.

"Can I just say that I'm having so much fun that I don't even care about going to the pool." Lori says.

"I kind of have to agree." Cisco says.

"Yeah, me too. Though I'm dying to see a few of these bikinis I know are hiding under your clothes." Oliver says.

"I kind of have to agree with Oliver." Eddie says.

"Which one of you guys is wearing a speedo?" Patty asks playfully. "Cisco? You look like a speedo kind of guy. Oliver too."

"I am not a speedo kind of guy." Oliver says to his defense and the room laughs.

"I think everyone has gone. I'll go again." Laurel says and reaches in. "Have you ever had sex in public?" She asked and then blushed. There were a few shot takers, but she wasn't one of them.

Linda reached for the bowl. "I'll go again too. Have you ever had phone sex?" She asks and looks around the room. Nobody made a move. "I keep picking winners." She says to a few laughs.

Kendra took the bowl from Linda. "Maybe I'll get another winner too. Have you ever done anal?" Linda made a face and looked around. "So much for that. Who wrote this question?" She wonders as a few people take a shot. She, however, didn't take one. That didn't go unnoticed.

"I see you didn't take a shot, Linda." Patty says sarcastically and smiles.

Linda frowned again. "I forgot." She lies.

"Yeah, right." Ronnie says and they all laugh. He got up to take a post it from the bowl. "Let's see what we have here. Have you ever masturbated in front of someone?" He asks and looks around like Linda did. "That's more of a girl thing, right? You guys don't like seeing us jerk off, or have I been misinformed?" He asks quizzically as he and the other guys take a shot.

"No, you haven't been misinformed. We don't want to see that." Iris admits and the women all agree.

Eddie stands to get another one too. "I guess I'll go again. Have you ever slept with someone that was married?" He asks as he furrows his brow. "I don't think I have." He answers. It was cute how none of the married people moved. Most people took shots, except for Patty.

Patty looked around again. "No judgement zone, remember?" Is all she says.

"I'll go again." Cisco says and reaches in. "Have you ever faked an orgasm?" He asks. Nobody took a shot and they all laugh.

Marina grabbed the bowl from Linda. "Have you ever told someone the sex was good and it wasn't?" She asks with a sly grin on her face. She thinks every person that has had sex has done that. She looked around and saw that nobody budged. "I wasn't expecting any adult to take that shot. Sometimes you have to spare a person's feelings. Sad and tragic." She says and the entire room laughs.

Felicity grabbed a post it from the bowl. "My turn again." She almost cheers. Then she reads her slip and grins. "Why do I keep getting these kinds of questions? This is rigged. Have you ever gone down on someone of the same sex? Great, just ask the lesbian that." She says and the room laughs, though she's joking about being upset. Everybody took a shot except for her, Marina, and Patty. The guys all cheered.

"I think I love all of you." Oliver says and the rooms all goes, "Awwww." Oliver grabbed his chest and made a face. "You're breaking my heart. I want to marry all of you."

"Shut up, Oliver." Barry says and they all laugh again.

Lori reached for the bowl. "I hope I get a good one." She says as she reaches in. "Have you ever done a striptease?" She says and smiles. "I think that was a good one. Nice to see so many of you know how to have fun."

Adam got up and walked over to his wife and reached in. "I guess we're all going again. Have you ever been paid for sex?" He asks to a chorus of giggles. "We already know the answer to that."

"Oliver, it's your turn to bartend." Patty says.

"I forgot all about that. I'm surprised no one is falling over drunk yet. You guys are animals." He says and goes to fill up the shot glasses. He reached in and took a post it while he was up. "Have you ever been handcuffed? Yes, but it wasn't sexual." He says and a few people take a shot.

Iris reached for the bowl and reached in. She smiled when she read hers. "Have you ever slept with a friend?" She asks. She smiled at Barry. "I sure haven't." She lies. Nobody takes a shot.

Barry decided to go again as well. "Have you ever been tied up?" He questions and again no one takes a shot. "You guys are animals." He jokes.

Cisco goes again. His question caused a ruckus it seemed. "Have you ever sucked on toes?" His ridiculously handsome face changed when he read that. The majority of the people in the room took a shot. Except for Adam and Felicity.

Adam went again to avoid the stares. They were in the no judgement zone, but people were still looking at him. He opened his post it and smiled. "Have you ever lied about having sex with someone?" He asks and looks around the room. Nobody takes a shot but for different reasons. "I think every guy has lied about getting laid at one point in his life. Women, you guys usually lie about it by denying that you've slept with someone. Now tell me I'm lying." He says and sits back down.

All of the women look at each other, but nobody says a word. "I guess I'll go again." Kendra sees.

"You see how they all just admitted that he's right without saying anything?" Oliver asks almost incredulously.

"Yup." Eddie says.

"Yeah, what's up with that? Why do you guys deny things?" Ronnie asks.

"The same reason you guys deny things. I think most of us have had at least one person we regret sleeping with. It's easier to deny that you actually slept with someone, than to admit that you regret it and why." Kendra explains.

"I second that." Linda says.

"I third it." Iris offers. "But what's up with you guys lying about getting laid? Discuss that."

"Because we have to seem like the man to our friends. We always lie about that shit in high school and college. It's a whole lot easier for you guys to get laid than us. The truth makes us look like wimps." Oliver says and the room laughs.

"I already knew that. I just wanted you to admit it." Iris says and smiles.

"Yeah, he isn't that innocent." Oliver says as he looks at Barry.

"Keep me out of this." Barry jokes and they all laugh.

Patty reached for the bowl and pulled out another post it. "Have you ever had sex on a plane?" She asks and looks around. She sees Diggle and Lyla laughing together as a few people take shots. "What are you two laughing about?" She wonders.

"Oh. We just had sex on the plane on our way to our honeymoon. That's all. We were reminiscing." Lyla says and reaches for the bowl to go again. "Have you ever had sex in a pool?" Nobody takes a shot. "Yeah, we did that on our honeymoon too." She says.

"I'm shocked!" Iris says and they all laugh.

"I guess I'll go again." Diggle says who is still the same shade of red as his wife. He reached in and smiled. "Have you ever skinny dipped? I guess that goes with the last question." He says. "There's one left in the bowl."

Laurel smiled and reached in. "Have you ever used sex as a weapon?" She asks. "I think it's safe to say that everyone has. So what do we do now?"

"I guess we head to the pool, or we can do something else." Kendra says.

"We can head to the pool. I impose a skinny dipping challenge." Oliver says and stands.

"I'm game." Patty says. A few more people agree and everyone starts to stand and get ready to head to the pool. It was getting late, but people were still there to have fun. The party was a hit and it seemed like no one wanted it to end. The fact that they were heading to the pool just seemed to make the party better. They were all having a good time and seemed to get along well. Some of them had just met that night, but they were acting like they knew each other for years. A lot of them were old friends, but they were all new and old friends by the time they were ready to walk to the pool. Barry and Iris got what they needed to lock up and escorted their guests to the indoor pool in their building. Iris and Barry had already put towels and things people might like in the pool in the room beforehand. The pool was heated and in a confined room with beach chairs. It was great for when people just wanted a swim. They were all glad that it really wasn't that cold outside yet so they could get away with getting in the pool that time of year.

The guys seemed to go wild as soon as they were in the room. Barry and Iris were glad that their guests were having fun. No one wants to throw a party where your guest are bored and ready to leave. Their guest seemed to not want to go home anytime soon, and that was ok with them. As long as they didn't want to stay the night. It was a nice Saturday night and none of them had anywhere to be in the morning. None of them had kids yet, so they didn't have any obligations.

Oliver and Ronnie did cannonballs as soon as they were in the room. Adam ran and did one too while the women all seemed to migrate together. They subtly watched as Cisco and Eddie removed their shirts and dove in the pool. Barry took off his tee-shirt and hopped in too. Diggle did a backflip into the pool. No one knew that he was that acrobatic except for Lyla.

"Wow." Laurel says as she continues to eye the extremely good-looking Cisco.

"Wow, what?" Linda asks as she settles on a lounge chair.

"The guys. Especially Cisco. He is beyond hot." Laurel says.

"He is." Kendra says as she looks at him in the pool.

"Eddie is pretty hot too." Marina says.

"Nobody is hotter than my baby." Iris says and grins widely.

"Yeah, yeah. Your baby is hot." Patty says and playfully makes a face.

"Really, though. They're all hot in their own way. Too bad my boyfriend couldn’t make it, but I get to watch from afar." Kendra says.

"They are. I'm not looking at the married ones, but they're all hot." Linda admits as she eyes Oliver. She had to admit that Eddie was pretty as well.

"It's time to flirt some more." Patty says and takes off her dress and hops in the pool. Laurel, Kendra, Marina, and Lori all take off their cover ups and get into the pool. Iris took hers off and felt and saw Barry watching her. She blushed and looked up and saw Eddie watching her as well. She knew she looked good in her bikini but him staring was a bit ridiculous. He now knows that she's with Barry. She needs to get him with Patty so he'll knock it off.

Iris hopped into the pool. Barry slowly glided over to her. "I thought you weren't going to get in at first." He says as he pulls her into a hug.

"Nope. I've been dying to get into this pool with you. If we get close enough to the wall, I'll bet we can have sex." Iris teases and wraps her legs around him.

"You're trying to have sex in front of all of our friends? Are you serious?" He asks though he's already hard. He's thinking of how he'll get his dick out and into her without anybody seeing anything. He didn't really care if anyone saw his dick because his dick is impressive. He has nothing to fear. He just doesn't want anyone, mainly Eddie, looking at her. He didn't care if Patty saw him, because she would never get a piece of him.

"I don't know, Barry. Am I serious?" She asks as she presses her lips to his and they start to kiss deeply.

Eddie tried not to watch Barry and Iris, but he couldn't help himself. He really wanted Iris, but now he couldn't have her. She was a great girl and he really wanted her. He felt like he should have been more persistent when he talked to her at the ball. He figured that was a moot point because Barry had more to offer her than he did. They went way back and really seemed to be in love. He was trying to pull his gaze away when Patty came up to him. "You really do have a thing for her, don't you?" She asks.

Eddie pulls his gaze away and looks at her. "Huh?" He asks as he looks at Patty.

“I asked you if you really do have a thing for Iris. Unless you have a thing for Barry. He is pretty hot, so I get it. It’s cool if you’re into guys." Patty says in an almost mocking tone.

"No, I don't have a thing for Barry." He replies rather harshly.

Patty laughed. "Calm down, Eddie. I was just kidding."

Eddie softened up a bit and really looked at Patty. He still thought that she was hot, and thought even more so now that he was really close to her. "Sorry." He says and tries to change his approach. She was an attractive and available woman after all.

"It's ok." Patty says and smiles at Eddie. His is really hot. He's not Barry hot, but he's hot.

Eddie started to forget about Iris and Barry when he looked at Patty. She was pretty and was a good cop. He took note from those games that they played. He seriously got turned on watching her put that condom on the banana and listening to her answers to some of the questions. Patty seemed to be freaky and he could have some fun with her. He probably wouldn't have to lay it on too thick to score either. He wasn't judging her too harshly, but he knew the kind of woman Patty is. He loved women like her. They made his life easier. "So, you accept my apology?" He asks in s seductive tone.

"Yes. I'll accept more than that if you take me out to dinner." Patty says. She figured she could at least get a meal out of it. Eddie was hot and she'd sleep with him since her dreams of Barry are done. She thinks Cisco is cute too, but Laurel can have him. Cisco was hot, but he didn't seem to be as experienced as Eddie. Oliver was hot too, but she felt drawn to Eddie for some reason.

"Dinner? Sure, I'll take you to dinner." Eddie says and they both know that they both want more.

Barry and Iris briefly looked over at Patty and Eddie and were relieved they seemed to be hitting it off. "Looks like Patty and Eddie are getting closer." Iris says.

"Great. Now they'll be out of our hair." Barry says as he moves him and Iris and pressed her against the pool wall. "Now we need to get rid of these people so that I can get rid of this hard on." He says in his sexy voice.

Iris looked around subtly and tried to make sure that no one was looking at them. Everyone seemed to be having fun. She reached down and tried to pull his penis out from his swim trunks. She was startled by someone seriously cock blocking them.

"Hey! I see you! Take that shit to the kiddie pool." Linda says from her lounge chair.

"Hush, Linda. There is no kiddie pool." Iris says and laughs.

"I know." Linda says in her famously sarcastic tone.

"Like I said, hush Linda. I think Oliver looks a little lonely over there." Iris says while Barry gives her that look.

"Yeah, Oliver looks lonely. I think you two would be perfect for each other." Barry says, hoping she'll get up and go towards the guys that seriously want to hit it off with the single girls. He knows his friends. From the looks of things, Eddie and Patty are hitting it off, and so are Laurel and Cisco. Marina and Felicity have seemed to make a connection. It wasn't meant to be a matchmaking and couple's party, but it seems to be ending that way. If Linda would just get with Oliver, it would surely be a success. Adam and Lori, Caitlin and Ronne, Diggle and Lyla, and Barry and Iris are already together. They'd want everyone to be as happy as those couples are.

Linda seemed to soften up a bit at that. "Really? Why do you say that?" She wonders.

Barry just smiled. "Hey Ollie! Olliie! Come over here for a minute." He yells to Oliver that's just playing around with Ronnie, Kendra, Diggle, and Lyla.

Oliver quickly swam over. "Yeah?" He asks expectantly.

Barry lowered his voice a little. "You have the green light to talk to Linda." He says.

Oliver looked happy and subtly tried to glance over. "You do." Iris says to reassure him. He just climbed out of the pool and went over to talk to her. Iris saw Linda smile more than she ever has in one setting as she talked to Oliver. Iris and Barry grinned at each other for successfully matching all of their friends up and for distracting everyone enough so that they could fool around in the pool.

 

 

* * *

 

A few weeks have passed and Barry and Iris were gearing up to go to Diggle and Lyla's Halloween party. They weren't sure if they wanted to do the usual and predictable thing of dressing alike for their costumes. But they were a new couple and wanted to show that. Barry looked at Iris a little strangely when she told him she was going as Minnie Mouse. That meant he had to be Mickey Mouse. Iris meant they would be the modern/sexy version of them and that got him a little excited. He really wondered what that meant. She told him not to worry about it and that she would handle their costumes. It really wasn't that hard to do. The main thing she needed was mouse ears which she picked up from the Disney Store. She also had to get Barry some red pants and hoped that he didn't make a fuss about it. He'd gladly wear a red shirt, but asking him to wear red pants was asking for a lot. The fact that red was his favorite color was irrelevant. He of course already had a black blazer, white shirt, and black shoes. She wondered how he would feel about her paining his face. She thought he'd make an adorable mouse. Maybe she would make him an offer he couldn't refuse to cooperate.

Plus Iris had a little surprise for Barry when it came to their costumes. Not only was she Minnie Mouse, but she was naughty Minnie Mouse. She put on a red dress and black thigh highs with black booties. She did her makeup and painted her nose black and made whiskers. She thought she made a cute mouse. She also put on a blonde highlighted wig. She knows Barry has never seen her in a wig before. She didn't know where she got the idea, but she just felt like doing something different and sexy. Being with Barry truly brought out her sexy side. They got dressed in their own bedrooms that they both seemed to share. Iris came out into the living room before Barry came out of his room. He looked a little uncomfortable in his get-up, but came to life when he saw Iris. Especially the dress she had on and the wig she was wearing. He liked the wig and was glad she had it on. She still looked like herself, she just looked sexy to him.

Iris smiled when she saw the look that Barry gave her. "Hi, Barry. Are you going to let me give you some whiskers too?" She asks as she looks at how cute he looks in his Mickey Mouse gear.

Barry completely ignored her question and walked up to her. He pulled her into his arms. "What's with the wig?" He wonders as he starts to get a little excited.

"Minnie Mouse loves wigs." Iris says and smiles.

"Mickey Mouse does too. Let’s say we blow off that party and stay home. You can just wear the wig." Barry suggests as he actually starts to get aroused thinking about it.

"Just wear the wig. You miss your little snowflakes and barbies, don't you?" Iris teases.

"Here you go with the snowflakes and barbies thing." Barry replies as he sighs a little.

'I'm just saying. You sure like this blonde wig a lot. I can get Patty over here. She's blonde." Iris teases some more.

"No, I don't want you to get Patty over here. No, I don't miss my snowflakes and barbies. And I do like the wig. I like the woman wearing the wig more." Barry says, knowing he got to her with hat one.

"Awww, that is the sweetest thing. I think I just fell in love with you just a little more." Iris confesses as she pecks his lips.

"Good. I fall in love with you a little more everyday." Barry admits and pecks her back.

"I'll sleep with you after the party, Barry." Iris jokes.

"Will you keep the wig on?" He wonders like an excited child.

"Yes. And the mouse ears. Are you ready for your whiskers?" Iris inquires.

"Yes. You are the cutest mouse I've ever seen." Barry says to flatter her even more. He then sat at the island and gave her that look. That look that made her weak in the knees.

Iris started to blush and stared at him. "You're really laying it on thick, aren't you?" She asks as she starts to put on his mouse makeup.

"I can be very charming when I want to be." Barry states and smiles. Iris can't help but giggle at his actions.

"You're right about that. You got me to show you my naked body again." Iris says.

"I had to. I was losing my mind." He says and gives her that smile again. It's amazing how much he does that without even realizing it, but it suits him and his personality well. It would look weird on someone else.

"Yeah, you've always been weird, I just didn't think anything of it." She admits as she smiles while she finishes making him look like an adorable Mickey Mouse.

"I always thought you were gorgeous. You were just my gorgeous best friend. Then I saw you naked and it was all she wrote." He says and flashes her that smile.

"I'm beginning to think you're only with me because you saw me naked." Iris playfully states.

"That's nonsense. It set the wheels in motion when I saw you naked, true, but the reason I'm with you is because I adore you and I can't picture my life without you in it. I can't help that I saw you naked and saw that you had things you didn't have when we were kids." Barry says.

"I did just fine seeing you with things you didn't have when we were kids. You're just a horn dog that can't control yourself. I told you several times that you needed to practice some self-control." She says and pecks him on the lips alerting him that she's finished.

"How can you expect to control myself when it's a constant challenge for me to keep my hands off you?" He asks as he stands to pull her close again.

"I guess I am asking a lot. It's hard for me to keep my hands off you too. It's even harder for me to not think about you. I sometimes get lost in thought in class. Thank goodness Kendra always reels me back in." Iris says as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"Do you really want to go to this party?" Barry asks. He'd much rather stay in and order pizza. And eat it in the bed completely naked with her.

"Yes. It's Friday night and it's Halloween. We need to spend time with other adults instead of just with each other." Iris states surely

"But we've always spent most of our time with just each other. The only difference is we're in love and sleeping together now." Barry counters just as surely.

"I know. But Diggle and Lyla invited us. They came to our party. The least we can do is go to theirs. We don't have to stay long." Iris says as she breaks away from him. She needs to put her lipstick on and grab her bag and they can leave.

"Yes, dear." Barry says. They gear up to get ready and head out to Iris’ car for him to make the drive to Diggle and Lyla's. Since he got with Iris, they've gone out on a double date. Diggle and Lyla were a lot of fun to hang with. Barry knew he'd see Cisco and Eddie at the party as well. Cisco had always been his work buddy and he enjoyed hanging out and chatting with him. Eddie seemed to still be harboring resentment towards Barry because of the Iris thing. Barry really didn't care. He wasn't going to break up with Iris to please Eddie. And no one else. He was glad he hadn't heard anything else from Becky. Becky was nuts, but thankfully she went away. Barry guessed that him pressing charges and the restraining order really got through to her.

"I just realized that we didn't bring anything." Iris says as she looks over at Barry.

Barry briefly glanced over at her. "Bring something like what?" He wonders while he tries to focus on the road.

"I don't know. Like something to drink or something. Even though Lyla said to not worry about it." Iris responds while her eyes stay on Barry.

"Then there you go. Why are you worried about it anyway? It's just a Halloween party. It's not like it's Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner." Barry states matter of factly.

"You're right. I'm over thinking things. I just don't like going to someone's house empty-handed." Iris says.

"I know you don't. You have that role of housewife down already and we're not even married yet." Barry says and glances over at her.

"Have you been talking to our moms behind my back?" Iris wonders as she eyes him suspiciously.

"No. Why do you ask?" Barry asks as he steals a peek at her.

"You all keep trying to marry us off, that's why." Iris replies.

"You don't want to marry me?" Barry asks as he gives her the sad little boy look.

"Of course I want to marry you. Just not tomorrow." Iris answers.

"I get it. But would anything really change if we did get married? You've already been my wife for years." Barry states surely.

"I know. I think the real title scares me a little. I'm not trying to hurt you, but that's how I feel." Iris says and looks at Barry again.

"I get what you're saying. Going from friend to boyfriend to husband scares me too. I thought I'd be the guy walking you down the aisle and not the one you're walking towards." Barry confesses.

"You were going to walk me down the aisle? I never knew that. I figured you'd just be my male Maid of Honor." Iris jokes.

"Yeah, I was going to since your father is gone. I figured you'd be my Best Woman. You are my best woman. The Best Woman." Barry says and winks.

"Awww, that's really sweet. You're really trying to get the full course tonight, aren't you?" Iris wonders.

"Yes." Barry says and grins as he continues to drive to Diggle and Lyla's place for their party. He really did just want to be home with Iris, but he's there because she's making him honestly. He would always do anything that Iris wanted. He pulled onto their block and found a parking spot. He and Iris saw many houses decorated in Halloween items on their block. Diggle and Lyla seemed to really go out with their decorations. They never pegged them as the type of couple to really like Halloween, but realized that it suited them after hanging with them. They really saw themselves in Diggle and Lyla though. Diggle and Lyla were so compatible, just like Barry and Iris. They had a great friendship and marriage. Barry and Iris knew they would have that one day. They were glad that they already got over the beginning stages that most couples have to go through. They didn't have to learn each other the way other people had to because they already knew everything they needed to know. They didn't have to find out horrific things about each other. They both knew that most people are on their best behavior in the beginning of a relationship.

Barry and Iris didn't have to deal with the headache, drama, and bullshit sometimes associated with getting to know a new boyfriend or girlfriend better. They thought the fact that they didn't have to experience that made their relationship better. Their strong friendship and bond made their relationship everlasting. Barry sweet talking her was really putting Iris into a romantic mood. She was always in the mood for him, but it felt more vivid tonight. She prayed that Diggle and Lyla's party didn't last until the wee hours of the night like their party did. She wanted to play with Barry in that wig.

They walked into the house hand in hand and mostly saw people they didn't know. They still spoke and walked around to find Lyla and Diggle. While they were walking around, they ran into Cisco and Laurel. The two really seemed to hit it off and went out after Barry and Iris' party. Iris was happy to see her friend happy. Barry told Cisco that he would like Laurel and he was right. Cisco and Laurel were dressed like Batman and Catwoman. It was really cute. They finally found Diggle and Lyla who were dressed like Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein and looked ridiculously cute.

They ran into Eddie who was dressed like a vampire. He was seriously on the prey. He and Patty hooked up, but they weren't anywhere serious enough to invite her to the party as his date.

Barry and Iris mingled more and showed their faces at the party. They feasted on the outrageous food they had for the party that looked like brains, bugs, other creepy things associated with Halloween. Once they felt like they had enough partying, they left and returned home. They were both horny as hell and needed to take care of it immediately. They were all over each other on the way in. As soon as they were inside their apartment, Iris went into seductress mode. She stopped Barry from kissing her abruptly. "Stop and take your clothes off. I'm in charge tonight." She says and gives him a look that makes him undress in a flash.

"You are going to keep the wig on though, right?" He asks as he seductively undresses in front of her.

"Yes. That's the last question you can ask me." She answers. Barry grinned and finished undressing. He was ready for whatever she had planned. He was completely naked and semi erect and just stood there with that smirk on his face. Iris's mouth started to water, but se had to keep her composure since she was taking the lead. "My room. Now." She says. Barry turned and almost sprinted to her room. Iris followed and was already ready to call it quits and just pounce on him, but she had to be patient. Barry quietly waited for instructions as he stood beside her bed. "Get in the bed." she says and Barry does that. He made himself really comfortable and just stared at her. Iris started to undress in front of him. She slowly unzipped her red dress and kicked her booties off. She took off her panties and her bra and kept her thigh highs on. She saw Barry's eyes dance as he scanned her body. He nearly lost it when she got in the bed and crawled towards him. She straddled his waist and stuck her breasts in his face. "Kiss them." She says in a quiet tone and Barry happily obliged. She started to stroke his already hard dick as he continued to kiss her breasts. "Now suck on my nipples." She says and he did exactly as told. Iris was really getting into giving Barry commands. It made her feel empowered and extra horny. She stopped stroking on him and looked deep into his eyes. "Now touch my pussy." She says and Barry stops sucking on her nipples and touched her clitoris. She smiled. "I didn't tell you to stop." She says. Barry smirked and followed his woman's commands. He knew how it felt to be in charge, so he knew she was enjoying it. He trusted her completely and would do anything she asked. Within reason. Barry noticed how wet she was and thought it might be from her new stance. He was hoping that she would tell him to taste her because that's what he was in the mood to do. He knew she was taking charge, but he had her wrapped around his finger when he did that. Iris adjusted her body and grabbed his face. She pressed her lips to his. The kiss they shared was dynamic and intense and sent shivers up Iris's spine. She pulled away and looked at him. "Now I want you to taste me."

Barry got excited by her request, but kept it hidden. He grabbed Iris by the waist and pulled her off his lap and rolled them over. He laid her on her back and didn't waste any time diving his head between her legs and savoring her. He tasted her until she started screaming his name. He felt like her stint as commander-in-chief was over and he was in charge now because He just sopped while she was still cumming and screaming his name and entered her. He put her legs on his shoulders and served her the dick nicely. He was still glad she kept the wig on and hoped she would wear it again. Iris started to see stars. Barry knew she was close and he pulled out of her. Iris looked up at him and wondered what was wrong. Barry gave her that world-famous smirk of his. "Beg me to put it back in." He says almost strongly and it made something stir inside Iris.

She still needed to get her bearings because she felt like she was at the top of the rollercoaster ready for that first drop and the ride stalls. "What?" She asks quietly, hoping it will make him feel bad and just give it back to her.

He kissed her deep on the lips. "I said, beg me to put it back in." Barry says and waits.

Iris decided to let her inner vixen take over. She looked up at him. "Please...Barry...I need you...put it...back in. You're...the...man..." She pants out breathlessly.

Iris talking to him like that instantly made his dick harder. He kissed her again. He entered her again slowly. "Now tell me how much you like it." He requested as he stared deep into her eyes.

Iris felt like Barry wasn't playing fair. He had successfully turned the tables on her and had her under his command. She liked it, she just didn't like how easy it was for him to do that. But she had to admit defeat and accept that he had to affect on her. She also had tricks up her sleeve. She knew how to stroke his ego to get what she wanted out of him. "I don't like it." She lies and looks at him.

Barry started to move more and really started grinding into her. Her mouth was saying one thing, but her pussy was telling him differently. "You don't?" He asks as he starts to play with her clit while thrusting into her.

"Nope." She says and smiles. "I love it. I love the way you feel inside of me. Your pussy craves you." Iris says knowing that naming her coochie as his really turned him on.

Barry got really excited and aroused. He slowly pulled out of her and turned her over. "Tell me more." He says as he enters her from behind.

 

 

* * *

 

Iris awoke Saturday morning after her late night with Barry after their Halloween party. She heard knocking on their front door and wondered who the hell it was. She sat up and that caused Barry to stir beside her. He always seemed to wake up when she woke up or got out of the bed. She looked at Barry and wondered if he invited someone over. "Who is that?" Iris question as she looks at Barry.

"You're asking me? I don't know who that is." He says and wants to go back to bed.

"So I guess I have to get up and see." Iris says in a sarcastic tone as she gets out of her bed and walks her naked body to the bathroom. She quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face before returning to her bedroom. She took in Barry's naked form just laying in her bed. He was making no attempt to get up it seemed. She quickly threw on something presentable to open the door. She was going to curse at whomever came over their house unannounced and uninvited. She cursed as she walked to the door and was started when she opened it. She was staring at her mother and Nora. "Mom? Nora? What are you two doing here?" Iris wonders.

Iris made no attempt to let them in. "Iris, where are your manners?" Francine questions.

"I'm sorry. I'm not thinking clearly. "Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Nora. What are you two doing here?" She asks again, this time in the cordial tone her mother taught her to use when greeting people

Francine and Nora looked at each other and smiled. "Are you going to let us in? Or were you and Barry having sex?" Francine asks, startling Iris again.

"Mom." Iris says and looks at her mother who's grinning. "We were not having sex."

"They did that last night, Francine." Nora says while grinning also, her big green eyes shining brightly.

Iris sighed and stepped aside. "Why don't you both just come in." She states through clenched teeth.

"Why, Thank you, sweetheart." Francine says as she and Nora enter her and Barry's apartment. They went and sat on the sofa and smiled at her. She walked over to sit on the chair and just looked at them awkwardly. They were smiling at her and she was getting nervous wondering what this early, surprise visit was all about.

"What are you two doing here, on a Saturday morning, without calling first?" Iris asks in a cheerful tone.

"You're really trying to pretend I didn't raise you better, aren't you Iris Ann West?" Francine asks.

"I'm very sorry, Mom. Would you two like something to drink or eat?" Iris asks and smiles widely, despite how uncomfortable she is.

"Sure. I'll take some coffee." Francine answers and takes her jacket off.

"I'll have some coffee too." Nora says and takes her jacket off as well.

Iris got up to go to the kitchen to put on the coffee. She went back and sat down with their mothers. "Ok, so do you guys want to wait until the coffee is ready until you tell me why you're here?" She questions.

As soon as she said that, Barry came out of her room in just his pajama bottoms. He stopped when he saw Francine and Nora. He looked at Iris and tried to read what she was thinking. He wondered what the hell their mothers were doing there early on a Saturday. "Good morning, Mom. Francine. What are you doing here?" He asks, slightly embarrassed and wishing that he had on a tee-shirt.

"Where's your shirt, sweetheart? Nora asks, embarrassing him just because she can.

He just stared at her and went to his room without a word. He came back out with his chest now covered and sat on the other chair. "Is this better?" Barry asks politely.

"Much." Nora replies. She and Francine love teasing their children.

Barry and Iris subtly looked at each other and wondered what the deal was. Nora and Francine exchanged glances as well. "What's going on, Moms?" Iris asks.

"Can't we just drop by and see our children and favorite couple?" Francine asks.

"Yes, but we think it's weird that you two just come over here unannounced and unexpected. The last time you invited us over and sprung that jaw dropping joke on us. Now you're here and you're acting the same way you were that day." Iris counters while wondering what has gotten into her two favorite women in the world.

"We really just came by to see you two. We haven't been here in ages. How are things going?" Nora wonders.

"Great." Is all Barry's saying right now.

"Just great? How's work? How is school for you, Iris? How is the relationship going?" Nora asks.

Barry looked at Iris before answering first. "Everything is going great at work. The relationship is beyond great. I couldn't be happier." He confesses and smiles.

"And school is still challenging but I'll be done soon. I agree wholeheartedly with what Barry said. I've never been happier in my life." She admits and smiles as well.

"That's great to hear. It makes us happy to hear that you two are happy. That's what any parent wants for their child." Francine says and smiles. "Is our coffee ready yet?"

Iris stares at her mother for a moment. "I'll check." She says and gets up from the chair and darts to the kitchen.

Barry smiled awkwardly. "I'm going to give her a hand." He says and stands and then darts to the kitchen too. Once he's there, he gives Iris a look to see what the hell is going on. "What is going on?" He whispers.

"I don't know. They keep doing this and it's beyond annoying." Iris whispers back while they get the coffee ready. Francine and Nora turned subtly and looked at Barry and Iris and desperately tried to contain their laughter. They had successfully riled up their children once again. They were such easy targets.

"I know. They're sitting there looking at us like the found condoms in one of our rooms and we know they found it." Barry whispers and Iris looked off to the side to keep from laughing.

"It does feel that way, doesn't it?" Iris asks in a low tone once she has regained her composure.

"I just want to know what's up. What trick are they going to play on us this time?" He wonders as he grabs the tray and waits for Iris.

"Who knows." She says as they walk from the kitchen to the living room. Barry sat the tray down and got back in the hot seat. He knew he was about to hear something that he wasn't in the mood for.

Francine and Nora just politely fixed their coffee while Barry and Iris just watched them. Iris could tell they were really enjoying what they were doing to them. If it was anyone else, they would have said some choice words to them. But since it was their mothers, they just had to take it. They had to take it like they were still kids. It was frustrating.

They finally finished up with their coffee and just at and looked at them for a moment. "Well, I guess you two are wondering why we just dropped by." Nora says.

"Yeah, we are." Barry says in an almost sarcastic tone.

"Barry, this doesn't really involve you. But you're welcome to stay if you'd like." Nora says.

He looked from mother to mother and then at Iris. She gave him a 'you'd better not leave me here alone with them' look that Barry completely understood. "No, I'll stay." He says and again smiles awkwardly.

"Well, we just came to take our girl Iris out for a manicure and pedicure. Then we're going to shop. It'll give us time to really have a Girls Day and catch up." Francine says.

Iris frowns. "That's all? You come over here like you have the winning lottery ticket and you just want to get manis and pedis and go out shopping?" Iris wonders skeptically.

"Yes. We haven't done that in a while. We miss you." Francine says and tries to lay the motherly guilt trip on Iris.

"We miss you too Barry, but this is a girl thing. We can take you out by yourself if you'd like." Nora says, knowing Barry won't want any parts of hanging with his mother and girlfriend's mother.

"No, that's ok. But you three have fun." Barry says and almost laughs. He knows that going out with Francine and Nora is the last thing he wants to do, but it won't be that way for Iris. She got along well with her mother and his.

"So that's all this is?" Iris wonders skeptically. She notices how Nora and her mother keep looking like they're hiding something and she really wonders what it is.

Francine smiles. "Yes, Iris. Why wouldn't it be?" She asks her oldest daughter.

"I'm just wondering why you didn't call to tell me so that I could have been prepared and at least ready when you got here. Or, I could have met you there." She replies, knowing that something is up.

"Then it wouldn't have been a surprise." Francine says.

"Ok. Well, I guess I'll go and get ready. I'll try not to take too long." Iris says and stands and heads towards her room. She just knows that Nora and Francine are up to something. She just doesn't know what. She undressed and quickly showered. She saw that Nora and Francine were dressed nicely like they always dress. Iris was very fashionable and well dressed as well. Even in just jeans and a sweater, Iris always looked great. She decided to just throw on blue jeans and a white 3/4 sleeve cardigan. She paired it with a suede olive jacket and matching suede olive peep toe booties. She quickly did her hair and threw on some lip gloss and headed out to the living room area. Barry, Nora, and Francine were just chatting away and waiting for her. She could tell that Barry was desperately waiting for them to leave so that he could go and lay back down. She wanted to lay back down as well, but she had to entertain her mother and Barry's. "I'm ready to go." Iris says.

Francine, Nora and Barry smiled at her appearance. "You look great." Barry says.

"Yeah, you do sweetheart. I love the booties." Francine says.

"Me too. Where did you get them?" Nora asks.

"Thank you. I got them from Macy's. I have a black and a brown pair." She admits. She notices the looks. "They were on sale."

"I'll bet they were." Francine says and stands. "Well, we're off. We'll try not to keep her too long, Barry."

"I'll do my best to try to survive without her." He says. Iris walked up to him and pecked him. She had to remember to not go too far in front of their mothers. "I'll see you later. Have fun."

"We will." She says and smiles. She pecked him again and felt Francine and Nora staring at her. "Am I following you guys, or what?"

"Nora is driving. You don't mind riding with us, do you?" Francine inquires.

"No, not at all. I don't mind being chauffeured." Iris says and they leave the apartment. They head out to where Nora had her car parked. They all settled into Nora's car and they were off. Iris just sat in the backseat and played on her phone and listened to the radio while Nora drove to wherever they were going. She suddenly realized how hungry she was. She had only snacked at Diggle and Lyla's party before she and Barry came home and got straight in the bed. They of course worked up an appetite like they normally did unless it was just some quick round in the shower or something. She was woken out of her sleep and ushered into getting dressed and leaving the comforts of her bed and home. She decided to speak up about it. "I really hope getting something to eat is on the agenda. I'm starving." She says, knowing that telling her mother that she's starving will get them to go somewhere and eat something. She was so hungry that she didn't care what.

"Sure, we can stop somewhere. Is there anything in particular that you'd like to eat?" Francine wonders as she turns in the passenger seat to talk to her daughter.

"No, not really." Iris says. "No, that's a lie. I could go for some really good breakfast or brunch food."

"Oooh, want to go to Chelsea’s? I love their breakfast food. I love all their food, actually." Nora calls from the driver's seat.

"I love their food too. Are you up for it? Hopefully we can get a table." Francine says.

Iris was busy on her phone making a reservation for the three of them. She loved Chelsea's food too, she just doesn't go there often. "I just put in a reservation for a table. It's Saturday morning, so I'm surprised they had one available. We just have to make sure we're there on time because they will give our table away. We'll just eat first and then head to get our manis and pedis. Does that sound good? I know you two already had your plans mapped out, but my stomach has other plans." Iris explains.

"No, it's fine. We didn't eat either. We just had that coffee, so eating first is just fine. Then we can start our girls day." Francine says and turns back in her seat. They continue to ride in a comfortable silence while the radio plays. Nora makes it to Chelsea’s and luckily they were early and still were able to get their reservation. They enjoyed their meal and then made their way to Dashing Diva to get their manicures and pedicures.

Iris was really enjoying herself with her mother and Nora. Iris smiles as she locks arms with her mother. Nora joined and locked arms with Iris on the other side as they walked down the street.

"I really miss you every day." Francine states.

"I'm going to come around so that we can do more things like this. I miss you two." Iris states a little sadly.

"Now you know how Nora and I feel. We miss our children. That's why Nora and I hang out so much. That's why we did this today." Francine says.

"There's also another reason we did this." Nora admits as they continue to walk.

"I knew it. I was just waiting for the ball to drop. What's the real reason for this impromptu girls day?" Iris questions.

They stop in front of Kleinfeld's. A bridal shop.

"This." Nora and Francine say in unison.

Iris looked up at the mannequins weaning wedding dresses and saw the people inside and just laughed. She looked at her mother and Barry's mother and wondered if they had truly, truly lost it. "What?" She asks just to entertain them.

"This. We brought you here to try on wedding dresses." Nora says happily.

"What?" Iris asks again just to be sure she heard Nora correctly.

"I said, we brought you here to try on wedding dresses." She says again in a chipper tone, her green eyes sparkling.

"Why would you bring me here to try on wedding dresses? Barry and I aren't engaged." Iris says surely.

"We know you're not engaged. But wouldn't it be fun to try on a beautiful white dress and veil to see what you'll look like when you and Barry get married?" Francine asks.

"What?" Iris asks again. She can't believe this or them.

"Iris, you know you heard me. What harm could it do to try on a few dresses? And if you like something, Nora and I will buy it and just keep it at my house." Francine says happily.

"Did Barry put you up to this?" She inquires.

"No, why?" Nora asks.

"Because I told him that if it was left up to you, you would have me fitted for a wedding dress and have invitations sent out. Then he mentioned me being a housewife and us getting married last night and I asked him if he had been talking to you behind my back. Now we just happen to be at a bridal shop? What am I supposed to think?" Iris wonders and sighs.

"We haven't talked to Barry about this. Honest." Nora says.

"We really haven't. But don't you think that's a good sign that he wants to get married to you?" Francine asks.

"Yes, it's a good sign. I love Barry. I want to marry him and I told him that last night. I told him just not tomorrow." Iris says.

"Why not tomorrow? You and Barry are pretty much already married, Iris. You're his beneficiary along with me and on his insurance." Nora says and looks at the little girl turned woman that she loves like her own.

"But we're not married." Iris explains.

"Not yet." Francine says and smiles. "Come on. Just try on a few dresses. It might change how you feel. I know I went a little crazy when I tried on wedding dresses."

"Me too. There's nothing like putting a wedding dress on." Nora confesses.

"Plus, there really is a reason for all of this." Francine says as she looks at Iris and Nora.

"What? This isn't another, 'we fell in love and are lesbians now' joke, is it?" Iris asks in an almost sarcastic tone.

"Nope. This isn't a joke at all." Francine says.

 _Oh God, now what?_ Iris thought as she looked at the serious expression on her mother's face.

 

 

* * *

 

Iris looked at her mother and really had to wonder what her reasoning for making her try on wedding dresses was. The last time she tried to make her think something was seriously wrong, she and Nora pretended they were lesbian lovers to get her and Barry together. That turned out to be a total joke, but what gives now? What are their mothers up to? They mentioned her and Barry officially getting married because they were already acting like they were, but to come to their apartment, take her out for a girls day, and then take her to a bridal boutique to try on wedding dresses when she and Barry weren't even engaged, seemed a little excessive. She was starting to think that her mother and Nora were seriously losing it. Then they offered to buy the dress and keep it at her mother's house. Who does that? What in the hell is going on?

Iris continued to stare at her mother and then glanced over at Nora. They both had the same unreadable expressions on their faces. Iris let out a sigh. Things were becoming a little complicated on her end. She really had to wonder if Barry put them up to it because of what they talked about the night before. She now thinks that he did and was in on the whole thing. Maybe he was back at their place setting up for a surprise proposal. She figured it was time to get the ball rolling on whatever they had planned. If Barry was planning to propose, she would say yes. She just wanted them to have a long engagement. Maybe a year or two. She knew for certain that she would not under any circumstances get married before she graduated and got her degree. That wasn't up for negotiations at all. She loved Barry and would love to marry him, but she had to do that for herself first. She wasn't completely on board with what they had planned, but she would be a team player. "Ok, so what's the real reason you guys bought me here to try on wedding dresses?" Iris asks and tries to keep the skepticism to a minimum.

"How about you get settled, look around for a bit, and try on a few dresses before we talk about that." Francine offers as a suggestion and smiles.

"What?" Iris questions as she looks from Francine to Nora and tries to get a good read on them.

"I think it would be best if we just go in and you talk to a consultant and look around and see what your style really is. Then you can actually put a dress on and then that'll give us time to talk." Francine replies, again with a smile.

"There is no real reason you brought me here, is there?" Iris ponders and stares at her.

"Yes, there is a reason we brought you here. I just don't want to tell you just yet." Francine says.

"May I ask why not? I think I have the right to know since it involves me." Iris says as she eyes her mother carefully.

"You do have a right to know. I just don't want to give you too much to think about by springing this on you. I promise I'll tell you when the time is right." Francine says.

"Barry did put you two up to this, didn't he? Is he back at our place waiting on me with a ring and proposal? Or is he out now buying a ring and he needed you two to distract me?" Iris asks rapid fire questions and really wants them answered.

Nora and Francine exchanged quick glances and then looked at Iris. "We were really telling you the truth, Iris. Barry doesn't know anything about this. We promise. If he is planning to propose, we don't know a thing about it." Nora answers.

"She's right. Even though we would love it if that's what's going on. We have no knowledge of Barry buying a ring and wanting to propose to you. He really should want to, but that's neither here nor there. So, are you ready?" Francine asks.

Iris sighed again. She knew she needed to just grin and bear it. Her mother and Nora weren't going to let it go. She was sure of that now. "Fine. I'm ready. Let's go and find me some wedding dresses to try on." She says as she relents.

Francine and Nora looked at each other again. "Yay! I'm so excited. Now let's go before you miss your appointment. This is the world-renowned Kleinfled's and people come from all over to try on their dresses, so they will give your appointment away." Nora says.

"An appointment, huh? I know this is all your doing." Iris says as she smiles at Barry's mother and the woman she loves like her second mother. Never in a million years would she be thinking that Nora might wind up being her mother in law. A year ago, she would have laughed her head off at someone even suggesting it. Even if it was a joke. She had no idea she would be at the point with Barry that she'd be thinking about marrying him. Never thought that he would be anything more than her best friend that just happened to have a penis. They went almost 20 years of just being friends and one moment of him seeing her naked brought them there. Now she was in love with him like she had never been in love before. It made her happy and also scared the crap out of her. Somewhere in the back of her mind was the fear that she would lose her best friend forever. Barry was too important to her to lose him. Even if the relationship didn't work out, he still had to be her friend. He had to be a part of her life for the rest of her life. There was no getting around that.

Nora smiled widely. "Of course this is all my doing. I have friends in all kinds of places that owe me favors and just want to do something nice for me. You're lucky you got this because the waiting list is long as hell to just get an appointment. So you really should be thanking me instead of questioning what me and your mother are doing." She says as a way to shut Iris up while effectively guilt tripping her.

Iris smiled widely too. "Gee, thanks Nora. I never even knew I wanted an appointment to try on dresses for a nonexistent wedding." Iris says with a hint of sarcasm.

Francine and Nora just took it in and let it go. Soon, Iris would see that what they were doing was a good thing. "Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's go." Nora says and they usher Iris in through the door. She saw several couches and mannequins wearing gorgeous dresses. She saw a few short runways surrounded by chairs and couches. Several people milling about. It seemed as if all the people who worked there wore black. She guessed that was to make them stand out from the abundance of white dresses in the place and from the customers.

A woman wearing all black walked up and greeted them. "Welcome to Kleinfeld's. Do you have an appointment?" She asks.

Nora took the time to speak up. "Yes, she does. I made it myself." She says happily.

"Who's the bride?" She asks and puts on a huge smile.

Iris started to look around because she wanted to know who the bride was too, but then she remembered that they're talking about her. She raised her hand and smiled. "I guess that would be me." She says and Francine looked at her.

"Great! My name is Fiona. And yours is?" She asks expectantly.

"Iris West." She adds with a friendly smile.

"Well, Iris. You can have a seat and your consultant will be with you shortly." Fiona says and smiles before disappearing.

Francine looked at Iris. She gave her that look that she gave her when she was younger and she did something that Francine wasn't too pleased with. "What?" Iris asks quietly. She has to remind herself that she's grown now, but that look her mother gives her still reduces her to a child. She went to sit in the many chairs in the reception area and Nora and Francine followed her.

"I just need more enthusiasm from you. You need to pretend that you really are a blushing bride before they kick us out of here." Francine says sternly once she's seated.

Nora started to nod. "She's right. If they think you're here just playing dress up, they will kick us out of here for wasting their time." She says.

Iris looked from her mother to her future mother in law and just sighed. She relented, despite being in a situation she didn't want to be in at all. "Fine. I guess we need to think of a wedding date. Or have you two already figured that out?" She asks as she looks between the two again.

"Of course we have. March 28th." Francine says and smiles. They planned it perfectly so that it was on a Saturday six months away. Francine and Nora pretty much figured out everything. They had already looked at wedding invitations, planners, venues, menus, themes...everything they could that's associated with weddings. They even started to go through their pictures of Barry and Iris as children for the reception. You would think that Barry and Iris really are engaged and getting married the way that Francine and Nora went about researching and planning things. They were seriously on a mission.

"March 28th? I don't want a March wedding." Iris says and wishes she hadn't said that because of the look that Francine and Nora gave her.

They exchanged glances and got excited. "So you've thought about when you'd like to have your wedding?" Nora asks in excitement. Just a little more prodding, and they could have Iris totally on board. They knew it wouldn't take much to get Barry on their team.

Iris gulped and looked from mother to mother again. "No, not really. I just know that I wouldn't want to get married in March. It's still cold and sometimes snows in March. I'd like a nice sunny and warm day for my wedding." She says almost happily.

"We agree. But that's just a fake date. You don't really have to get married in March. Unless you really want to." Francine says and smiles again.

Iris smiled at her mother to be a good sport and play along. "Since this really doesn't count, a March wedding is perfect." She says.

"Great. Have you decided what style you want to try on? I think you'd look great in anything, honestly. How about my dress? You can get married in that. You are my daughter." Francine says happily and Iris has to wonder if Francine is flying off the deep end and really getting caught up in thinking that they're really planning a wedding.

"Mom, this is just pretend. Barry and I aren't really getting married. You do know that, right?" She asks a little hopefully.

Francine waved her hands dismissively. "I know that. I was just asking for the real wedding. The one I hope happens eventually. You two have to give that to Nora and I. Don't break our hearts." She says and lays that huge guilt trip on Iris.

Iris was about to respond when a woman walked up to them. "Hello. My name is Candice and I will be your consultant today. Who's the bride?" She asks in a cheerful tone.

Iris had to put on her game face. She smiled and raised her hand. "I am. I'm Iris." She says and keeps her smile on her face. She knew Francine would be proud. She decided that she would really give a stellar performance since that's what her mother and Nora wanted. They brought her out under false pretenses to try on wedding dresses for crying out loud. She was thinking of a way to repay them for that. That would teach them to do that. Maybe she would lie and tell them that she's pregnant and they're going to be grandmothers. That would really fix them.

"Hello, Iris. It is very nice to meet you. And who do you have with you?" She asks in the same cheerful tone.

Iris kicks it up a notch. She smiles at both of the women she loves more than anything. "Well, this is my mother, Francine. And this is my future mother in law, Nora." She says and smiles. She had never introduces Nora to anyone as her future mother in law. Never even thought about that until she really got with Barry and it just crept into her mind that they might actually get married. It was really on her mind that day at her mother's house when they revealed they were a couple and they reminded them that they're already married in their eyes, they just needed the paper to go along with it. Then Barry slightly suggested that they get married, and now they're actually in a bridal boutique, trying on dresses like she's really engaged. It was just a funny situation to Iris all around. The main thing on her mind was finishing school and getting her degree. Now she's planning a wedding. She would laugh, but doesn't want to hear Francine's mouth.

"I promise to make you a breathtakingly beautiful bride. Do you have a certain style that you'd like to try? Most brides already have this idea of what they want and then they see the selection and get a little overwhelmed. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen." Candice says and smiles.

Iris keeps her smile on her face. "No, I don't really have a certain style in mind. I'm willing to try on a variety of dresses. Do you have any dresses that aren't white? My fiancé and I both love red so that would really shock people if I walked down the aisle in a red dress." She says and keeps her huge smile on.

Francine looked at Iris like she was crazy. "Do not pay her any attention, Candice. Over my dead body will she get married in a red dress. I don't care how much sex you've had. You will wear a white dress and that's final." Francine says sternly as she looks at her daughter.

Candice looked from Iris to the woman she introduced as her mother. Nora looked at Francine and Iris and just smiled.

"Seriously, Iris. How could you even suggest a red dress? Are you mad? If you really have to wear a red dress, you can change into one at your reception." Nora offers.

"I was just kidding, Moms. Lighten up." She says and smiles at her consultant who smiled at her.

"Ok. Are you ready to go?" Candice asks.

"Yes. Lead the way." Iris says and all three women stand and follow the extremely cute Candice through the store.

"Could you maybe go over the different kinds of wedding dresses? Because I don't think any of us really know the different styles or that she knows what particular style she wants. I think going over that would make it easier to find the perfect dress." Francine suggests.

Candice smiles. "Sure. Well, there are many different types or styles of wedding dresses. It helps to know your body type and which wedding dress style would look the best to flatter your body shape. Some people rely heavily on that to get the perfect dress and some people don't care and just get the dress that they like. But I am totally here to help you and I won't put you in something that won't flatter your body." She takes them to a small room inside of a bigger room that has dresses everywhere and a few on mannequins. She stands beside them as they get settled on the chairs. "Let's get started. First we have the Mermaid or Trumpet Wedding Dress. Mermaid or Trumpet style wedding dresses hug the curves closely and are a great choice if you feel like to want to accentuate your curvy figure. This popular style is most flattering to hour-glass and rectangle shapes. Women that are petite may find that it shortens their appearance and so may find this unappealing. You might have that problem since you’re a little on the petite side. This is a beautiful shape for the fit, yet curvy girl." She says as she points out certain features on the dress.

Iris, Francine and Nora are just taking it all in and aren't overwhelmed yet. Candice moves over to another dress on a mannequin. "Then we have the A-Line or Princess Wedding Dress. A-Line wedding dresses are wonderful choices for almost any bride. This flattering dress shape balances out top-heavy shapes and helps hide some tummy bulge. Body shapes that look great in an A-Line wedding dress include the Inverted Triangle because it balances out the top-heavy shape, the Rectangle, the Pear and the Hour Glass. Again, you don't have those 'quote on quote' problem areas from what I can see. This style is also known as the Princess Wedding Dress style. A most forgiving style, it's a great choice for most brides." Candice says and then pauses and moves to the next dress.

"Next up is the Empire Wedding Dress. This is a very forgiving wedding dress shape, great for many body types. It tends to flatter the Inverted Triangle, the Apple, the Pear and the Hour Glass. Classically it has a high waistline and the seam is just underneath the bust and the fabric below the waist falls gracefully to the floor. Slim brides with small busts tend to like this shape as well and pregnant brides find this the most comfortable shape to wear. That might be a good choice for you since you're slim and it would suit your body type perfectly. Then we have the Sheath or Column Wedding Dress. The Sheath, which is also known as the Column wedding dress runs pretty much vertically from the shoulders down to the floor and the hem does not flair out, like it does in the A-Line, Empire or Ball Gown. These dresses are usually body-hugging wedding gowns and work best for slim brides with balanced figures. It is also suitable for petite brides on the slim side since it tends to elongate their shape. If you are not super confident in your shape, you might want to mark this one off your list, as you want to be happy and confident on your wedding day. A slim Hour Glass may like the body hugging features of this dress style, but the best suited shape seems to be the Rectangle for this Column wedding gown. I really think that this will be the perfect style for you. Not this particular dress necessarily, but you get my drift. I honestly think you would look great in anything." Candice says and smiles at the three women again. She loves that they haven't interrupted her like many people do with countless questions.

"And last, but certainly not least, we have the Ball Gown Wedding Dress. The Ball Gown wedding gown is also called the Fairy-Tale wedding gown, or the Cinderella wedding dress. Usually paired with fitted bodices, these gowns flare out from the hips, adding drama and over-the-top glamor. Pear shapes love this type of wedding dress, but the Hour Glass, the Inverted Triangle, the Rectangle, and the Apple also find this shape attractive on them. A fitted waist is ideal for this shape and petite body types might find these dresses a bit overwhelming to their small frames. So now that we've gone over that, do you have a certain style that you would like to start with?" Candice asks as she finishes her mini documentary of wedding gowns and smiles at the three women in front of her.

"Wow. That's a lot to take in. I never knew there were that many different kinds of wedding dresses. I know they don't all look the same, but I never knew that there were that many and some were designed specifically for certain body types." Iris says.

"Yeah, it can be a bit overwhelming for some. Some people search through magazines and just look for dresses that they like and what they want to look like, and then it's different when they try dresses on. And some have misinterpretations of the dress they want. They think they want a ball gown, when they really want a princess cut. That's why we have experts like me to help you. So, is there anywhere you'd like to start? And what is your budget?" Candice asks as she looks directly at Iris.

Iris turned to look at her mother and then Nora. Francine spoke up. "Up to $10,000." She says and smiles.

Iris is a little shocked by that. "What? That much?" She asks.

"Yes, that much. You're my only daughter. Plus, Nora is helping so you can spend up to that much. You shouldn't have a problem finding your dream dress within that price range." Francine says and smiles and hopes that helps with Iris really being enthusiastic about trying on dresses.

"Wow. That's something. Do you really want to spend that much on a dress I'll wear once? What about the wedding? Those things can cost a pretty penny." Iris says while looking from Nora to Francine and hoping that they have an answer for that.

"Of course we want to spend that much. This is your wedding day to the man you've known and loved forever. Plus, we love you and think you're worth every dime. And Barry's making good money so he can help with the wedding." Nora says and smiles at her future daughter in law.

"Fine." Iris says as she stands and takes off her jacket. She walked over to Candice. "I guess we can start wherever you think I should start. You're the expert. I don't really have a specific style in mind. I'm open to trying on anything. Maybe even something totally untraditional like a short dress." She says and smiles.

Francine objects. "Candice, again don't pay her any attention. Her dress will not be a short one. She's just yanking your chain. We can find her a short reception dress later. Iris, you and I are going to have to have a talk about this dress. You are not wearing anything short, or red, or black, or wearing pants or anything of the sort. You're going to wear a white dress that looks like a wedding dress, so that there won't be any confusion. You can wear what you want after your first dance. And that's the last we will discuss on that issue." She says and gives Iris that smile to let her know that she isn't kidding.

Candice tries to contain her laughter at the look on Iris' face and the talk her mother just gave her. It wouldn't be the first time she had a bride want to be edgy and different and the mother isn't having it. She just knows that she has to pick something that has that 'wow' factor and she really likes to make her not feel like she's wearing something hideous. They had thousands of dresses and Iris being a very pretty girl with an incredible body made her job seem easier. She was already thinking of some gowns that would be perfect for her. Once she tried it on and got propped up, she wouldn't even be thinking of wearing something out of the ordinary just to shock people. She'd find the perfect dress that would wow and shock people like it's supposed to. She would make Iris a showstopper, unforgettable, and blushing bride. "Ok. well now that we have that out of the way, I'll just pull a few dresses and you can try them on to get a feel of what you like and how you look in them. You can come with me and pull some things that you like as well." Candice says.

"Ok, I'll do that. I'll be right back Moms." Iris says and follows Candice to the stockroom. They started to look through the many, many racks of dresses and Iris had never seen that many white dresses in plastic in her life. She just stood there and sighed for a moment. She ran her hand across her forehead and just exhaled again.

Candice stopped what she was doing and just looked at Iris and smiled. "I told you it could be overwhelming. But that's what I'm here for. You just stand there and I'll pull dresses. If one just jumps out at you, just point to it and I'll pull it. I'm here to make this as stress free as possible. I know that planning a wedding is stressful, so picking a dress will be the least of you worries with my help. You have several things working in your favor. You're gorgeous and you have an amazing body so finding a dress to enhance that won't be that hard. Do you know how hard it is for us to tell a bride that a dress she loves really doesn't flatter her figure? And she doesn't have anyone in her group of family and friends to be honest with her. You have a nice budget. Some brides come in here and can only spend a fraction of what you have to spend. That's stressful in itself. I've seen brides fall in love with dresses and cry because they can't afford it. You don't seem like these Bridezillas I get in here that literally storm through the place like a tornado or the Tasmanian Devil. Plus, you have the support from your mom and your future mother in law. I've seen plenty of brides that don't have that. They hate the groom's mother or she hates them. So just take a breather and let things fall into place like they should. Remember, I'm here for you. And can I just say that I'm glad that you didn't bring a lot of people with you with all these different opinions? I think you'll end up being my favorite client." Candice says.

Iris exhaled and smiled. Right then and there she liked Candice. She knew that she couldn't tell her that she wasn't really planning a wedding and there to try on dresses for that purpose. She really had to play her part to not make Candice feel bad and make her feel like she was wasting her time. Even if she thought it was a waste of time and energy that she was even there trying on wedding dresses to begin with. She and Barry had only recently gotten together. They weren't engaged. Marriage wasn't on their radar. He hadn't even proposed. "Thanks, Candice. It just feels like everything is happening at once. We just recently got together, and now I'm trying on wedding dresses." She says.

"I thought his mother said you were marrying the guy you've known and loved forever?" She asks as she goes back to the huge rack of dresses.

"I am. We were best friends since we were 5 years old. We met in kindergarten and became best friends. Our mothers became best friends because of our friendship. He's been there for me and I've been there for him. We both lost our fathers when we were teenagers. We went to prom together and went away to college but always stayed in touch. I moved back here for grad school. We were still just best friends through it all. We never went there even though people suspected that we did throughout the years. He let me live with him completely rent free. We were roommates and nothing ever happened between us. Until one night, something happened and we became more than friends. It feelt weird but I didn't want to ruin our friendship. Our mothers and others pointed out that we were already like a married couple and soul mates. Now, here we are." Iris says and smiles just thinking about it because she truly loves Barry and doesn't have to fake that.

"Awww, that is the sweetest thing. You're marrying your best friend. It doesn't get any better than that. Where's the ring?" She asks as she looks at Iris' hand.

"I'm still getting used to wearing it." She lies. "Plus, I knew we were coming into the city and it's kind of huge and I don't want to get robbed." She says and she and Candice laugh.

"Good idea." She says as she stops and pulls a dress. Iris was busy talking and telling her history with Barry and their mothers that she hadn't realized that Candice pulled about 6 dresses in the time they were talking. "Well, I have a few dresses here that we can start with. If you don't like any of them, I'll pull some more. You can get a better look at them once we're in the dressing room and they're out of the plastic." Candice says.

"Ok. Let's go." Iris says. "Do you need help carrying them?"

Candice was busy organizing the gowns and grabbed them all by the hangers. "Nope. I've got it. I can carry more than this. You'd be surprised." She replies and they both laugh.

"Well, alrighty then." Iris says and they walk back towards the showroom and walk past Francine and Nora sitting in the chairs as they go into the small dressing room. Francine and Nora got excited just seeing the dresses.

Candice hung the dresses on the hooks in the dressing room and then grabbed a body suit and robe for Iris. "Ok, take off everything except for your panties and put this on. It's easier to try on dresses and not have to worry about bra straps and being nude. I'll give you some privacy and be back in a few." She says and then she leaves Iris in the room alone.

Iris started eyeing some of the dresses. She thought they were all pretty, but one really caught her eye. She then just walked up and started looking at. She examined the dress closely and saw that it wasn't her size. It was bigger than what she usually wears. She checked them all and saw that they were all the same size, they were just bigger than her size. She brushed it off and got undressed like Candice told her to. She was starting to get nervous. She put on the bodysuit and just stared at the dresses. She was about to start chewing on her nails when she remembered that she had just gotten them done. She started nibbling on the inside of her mouth when there was a knock at the door. "Come in." Iris says as she just stands there and waits expectantly.

Candice walked back in and smiled. "Ready to get started?" She asks as she closes the door.

"Yes." Iris says in a nervous tone.

Candice gave her a friendly smile. "You seem nervous. That will go away once you're actually in a dress. Is there one you want to start with?" She asks as she walks over to the dresses.

Iris did have one she wanted to try first, but she couldn't put on her favorite one and fall in love with the first dress she tried on. She would save that one for later. She knew Francine would object to her picking the first gown. "Yeah, that one." She says as she points to a pretty ball gown that had a beautiful bodice. It was gorgeous, but Iris knew that she wouldn't get married in that dress.

"Ok." Candice replies as she unzipped the plastic bag and pulled the dress out.

"I was wondering about the sizes. I think that's too big for me though." Iris says.

Candice giggled a little. "Oh, we pull them in a bigger size to pin them up to show you how they'll look after alterations and things. Don't worry. You'll get the right size dress that will fit you like a glove." She says as she grabs the dress and holds it up to Iris. Iris stepped in it without a word as Candice helped her pull it up and zipped it up. She added clips to the back and Iris looked at herself in the mirror.

"Ok, let's go." Iris says so that they can show Nora and Francine.

She and Candice walk out the dressing room to an eager and excited pair of mothers. Iris stepped onto the small platform while Francine and Nora just stared at her. Francine dabbed her eye and Iris felt a little shaken up at seeing that. Her mother and Nora were really happy seeing Iris standing before them in a wedding dress. "Turn around." Francine says and Iris started to spin on the white platform. "You look pretty."

"Yeah, you do." Nora agrees.

"But that's not the dress." Francine says and smiles. All women involved agreed. Iris just stepped off the platform and walked back into the dressing room with Candice following.

"Ok. One down, five to go." Iris says and Candice helps her out of the dress and into a beautiful sheath dress. Iris really liked the back on that one that people would really appreciate when she walked past them. She knew that Francine wouldn't like it at all. "I know my mother is going to hate this one." She says and she and Candice laugh.

"Well, you know your mother better than I ever will. But why do you say that?" She asks as she zips it up.

"Because the back is prettier than the front." Iris says and she gets ready to leave the dressing room. She walked out and stepped onto the platform again. She looked at Francine who did not look pleased.

"I don't like that one at all. The back is prettier than the front. Next." Francine says.

"I like the back but I agree. That's not it ether." Nora says.

Iris just stepped off the platform without a word and went back into the dressing room with Candice following. "Told you." She says and they both laugh. Candice helped Iris out of the dress and then helped her into a beautiful A-Line gown that had a really pretty blinged out sash that really accentuated Iris's tiny waist. "I like this one." She says as she smiles. She really did like the dress and liked how she looked in it. She didn't think it was the one despite thinking it was beautiful.

"I do too. I think you look beautiful in it. With the right veil and alterations, I think it could be the one." Candice says as she finishes propping Iris up to show Nora and Francine.

"You might be right. I think you should find me a veil because my mother might ask to see me in one." Iris says even though she knows this isn't her dress. She was starting to like trying these dresses on. She hated to admit it. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she was getting a kick out of trying on wedding gowns. She already loved fashion and clothes, but this has taken it to another level.

Candice finished and escorted Iris from the dressing room. Francine and Nora seemed excited about this choice of dress. Iris stood on the platform and smiled at herself in the mirror that was a few feet away. "What do you think, Moms?" She asks as she stands next to Iris.

"I think I really like this one." Nora says.

"I think I really like this one too." Francine says as she continues to stare at Iris. "I'd like to see you in something more figure flattering though."

"Coming right up." Candice says and she and Iris head to the dressing room again. She searched through the dresses and found an off-white Empire wedding dress that had a beautifully decorated top that stopped just below the breast and flowed freely the rest of the length of the dress. It was very pretty and would look amazing on Iris. "Here's one." Candice says and pulls it from the plastic.

"Yeah, that's really pretty. I wonder what my mother will say about it. It's not exactly white and she might think differently of it. But we can give it a shot." Iris says as Candice helps her into the dress.

She and Iris left the dressing room and Nora and Francine both frowned when they saw the dress. "That dress isn't even white. You don't even need to model it. Plus, I'd like to see something more figure flattering than that. And white." Francine says. "Nice try, Iris. but you are going to wear a white dress."

Iris and Candice exchanged glances and just walked back into the dressing room. Iris quickly took off the rejected dress and sat down. Candice smiled at her. "We'll get it right this time. I promise. I may have to pull a few more dresses if we strike out again." She went through the dresses and picked the mermaid style one. It was satin and was halter style. "Want to try this one? I think this is what she means by figure flattering."

"Yes, I'll try that one. I think she'll really like this one too. I do." Iris says as she steps out of the last dress and into that one. It still isn't the one she was eyeing, but it was similar. Somehow she wanted to really wow them with the last dress. She knew her mother would like both dresses because they really did show off her figure. Candice added the clips to really show off Iris's shape. She had to admit that she really liked the dress and how she looked in it. She never knew that trying on wedding gowns would make her feel like this.

"I think we found a winner." Candice says as she opens the door and Iris walks out and stands on the platform. Nora seemed to come alive at seeing Iris in that dress. Francine was just eyeing her quietly. "What do you think, Moms?" Candice asks.

"I love it." Nora says.

"I do too. But turn around, Iris." Francine says and Iris turned around slowly on the platform so that Francine could get the full effect of the dress. "I really like this one. I'm not that crazy about the halter style, but I like the dress. A lot." She says after eyeing her first-born carefully.

Iris smiled because she was thinking the same thing. She knew her mother would like the last one that she first fell in love with.

"Ok. Well, we have one more to try. If you don't like that one, I'll pull more from the storeroom." Candice says and she and Iris are off to head to the dressing room. She heads for the last dress and pulls it from the plastic. "I'm seriously crossing my fingers that your mother likes this one." She says as she looks at Iris.

"Me too." Iris says in agreement though she knows that her mother will because she likes it and they have the same sense of style. Candice removed the clips from the dress she's wearing and starts to unzip it to help Iris out of it. She then helped Iris into the trumpet style wedding dress that had the sweetheart neckline. It stopped mid-thigh and had a tulle flared bottom with crystal embellishments around the hem before the tulle and a crystal bow to match. Candice zipped it up and Iris started to tear up. She found her dress and didn't even know she was looking for it. She started to add the clips to really get the full effect of how the dress would look and Iris was near shaking. Candice has seen this reaction before from brides and she knew her job was done.

"I think you found your dress." Candice says and smiles.

Iris smiles and wiped away tears. "I think so too. Can you get me a veil now?" She asks as she admires herself in the mirror.

"Coming right up." Candice says and she's off to the storeroom. She breezed past Francine and Nora and came back quickly with a tulle veil. She entered the room and found Iris still watching herself in the mirror. She pinned the veil into her hair and stepped back. "You look beautiful." She says and really means it.

She looked at herself some more and wiped away the tears. "Thank you." Iris says. "Let's go show my Moms." She heads for the door with Candice following. Iris stepped on the platform. She saw Nora and Francine wipe away tears.

Francine's face looked like it was permanently frozen into a smile. Nora had the same look on her face, but Francine's seemed to shine more because Iris is her daughter. She pictured the day she saw her daughter try on her wedding dress and now it was here. She thought of the day Iris was born and teared up some more. "You look beautiful, sweetheart. Simply beautiful." She says and reaches for a tissue from the box sitting on the table next to her.

"Yeah, you do. You really look gorgeous." Nora says in a happy tone.

"Thanks Moms." Iris says and smiles.

"I think that's the dress." Francine says.

"Is this your dress?" Candice asks in anticipation.

Iris smiled happily and pictured the look on Barry's face when he saw her walking towards him in that dress. The picture she had in her mind let her know that it was the dress she'd marry him in. "Yes." She says and Francine, Nora, and Candice cheer.

"So, how much is that dress costing us Candice?" Francine asks as she braces herself and seriously hopes she doesn't get sticker shock.

Candice looked for the tag on the dress and knew that both mothers would be happy with the price since it's below their budget. She smiled before answering. "It's $7,500."

"Wow, that's totally not what I thought it would be. I was worried it was more since we all love it so much." Francine says.

"I would never pull a dress that's over your budget and let you try it on unless you specifically ask me to. I've seen too many brides leave here disappointed or empty-handed." Candice says.

"Great. We really appreciate all your help Candice. Now, can I talk to my daughter in private for a moment?" Francine asks as she stands.

"Sure. You can use the dressing room." Candice says and goes to have a seat with Nora. Francine and Iris make their way to the dressing room and Iris has to wonder what's going on.

Iris just sits in the chair in the dressing room and Francine shuts the door and walks over to her first-born. Francine smiled at her. "You really look like a princess in that dress, Iris. You look how I pictured you'd look ever since you were a little girl." Francine says and Iris feels warmth and happiness from her mother telling her that.

"Thank you, Mom. This isn't exactly the dress I pictured or even how I thought I'd look for my wedding dress, but I got a little emotional at seeing myself in the mirror wearing this. I started to think of how Barry would react seeing me in this dress." Iris confesses as she looks at her mother. She's suddenly very happy that they brought her out to try on dresses. She still needs to know why.

"Great. So, you now feel like you're ready to marry Barry?" Francine ponders.

Iris studied her mother for a moment before answering. "I want to marry Barry. I really do. Just not tomorrow and not before I finish school. I'm still scared about taking that step though, Mom. What if it doesn't work out? I'll lose my husband and my best friend." She says and tries not to dwell on it not lasting too much.

"Iris, I really don't think you have to worry about that. I see you and Barry lasting. I really do. Nora does too. You two don't even really understand how happy we are that you two got together. We've wanted this since you two were kids. We wanted you to finally realize that you should be more than friends." Francine says.

"Really?" Iris asks quizzically. "So, that's why you brought me to try on wedding dresses?"

"Yes. Plus there's another reason." Francine says.

"Barry did put you two up to this, didn't he?" Iris wonders as she looks at her mother carefully again.

"No. Barry really didn't. He doesn't know anything about this. He does think you don't want to marry him, but he didn't ask us to do this. If he's planning on proposing, I don't know anything about it." Francine admits truthfully.

"I do want to marry him though. That's where he's wrong. I'm just scared." Iris confesses. "So, what's the other reason?"

Francine exhales a little. "Your father." She says.

"My father? What about him? He's been gone for over 10 years, Mom." Iris says to remind her mother. Losing him was hard, but she managed to deal and live with it.

"I know that. He told me that he wanted you to marry Barry before he died." Francine says and lets that sink in.

Iris just looked at her mother and hoped that she heard her right. "What? Say that again, Mom. I'm really not sure I heard you correctly." She says.

"I said, your father told me that he wanted you to marry Barry before he died. He was sick and you remember how much Barry helped out around the house when he couldn't anymore. When he started to just mow the lawn, shovel the snow, and wash my car without even being asked to. He knew your father couldn't do those kinds of things anymore and it was just us girls. Your father really appreciated that. He only told me that. He really thought that Barry would make a great husband for you even though you two were just best friends. He loved Barry like his own son. He said he's the only guy he would approve of for you. That's why Nora and I wanted you and Barry to get together, but you beat us to it." Francine says.

Iris was busy listening to her mother and wiping away tears. "I can't believe he told you that." She says as the tears continue to flow. Of course she remembered what Barry did for her and her family, but she never thought that her father would want her to marry Barry because of it.

"Yes, he did. I told Nora and she was deeply touched." Francine admits.

"Wow. That is really a lot to take in." Iris states as she wipes her eyes again.

"I'm not going to say it was his dying wish, but it seems like it was." Francine says.

"But why now though? What's the rush?" Iris asks in wonderment.

"Because I had dreams about your father. I haven't dreamt about him in years. I dreamt he was walking you down the aisle on your wedding day. I took that as a sign. Obviously your father still approves of Barry. Now we're not trying to push or pressure you, but I would like to honor his request." Francine says in a sweet, motherly tone.

Iris wiped the last tears and reached over to hug her mother. "Thank you for telling me that. It really means a lot to me." She offers her mother sincerely.

"You're welcome. Now do you see why I wanted to wait to tell you? I didn't want to really burden you with that and then you obsessed over finding a dress." Francine says.

"Yes, I see why. I would have. Thank you for that. And thank you for the dress. But who is going to give me away now? Last night, Barry told me that he thought he would be the one to walk me down the aisle since Dad is gone. I never knew he felt that way. He also told me he thought I would be his Best Woman. Now I'll be marrying him. It's amazing how things change. I'll be walking towards him instead." She says as she pulls away from her mother.

Francine smiled at Iris. "Nora and I will walk you down the aisle and give you away. I'm sure that hasn't been done before."

Francine and Iris just laugh as they both stand. They hugged before they headed to the door to leave the dressing room. Nora and Candice are busy chatting away when they walk out. "Is everything ok?" Nora asks.

"Yes. Everything is ok." Iris says as she walks over to her future mother in law and gives her a hug.

"Good. I'm happy to hear that." Nora says as she releases her.

"Then you'll be even happier to hear that you're about to be a few thousand dollars less richer when I get this dress." Iris says.

"Well, it's money well spent to help your mom buy this so that you can marry my son." Nora says.

"Yes, Nora and I are happy to spend this money. Thank you for all your help, Candice. We're going to take this dress. It won't be this exact dress though, right?" Francine asks quizzically.

"You're very welcome. No, it won't be this dress. This is just a sample. Her dress will get custom-made with her measurements. I'll start writing it up and then alterations will take said measurements and create her perfect dress. Are you ready to do that now, or do you want to wait until it's closer to the wedding to have it altered? Most brides wait because they lose weight before the wedding." Candice says.

"What are you going to do, Iris?" Nora asks.

"I guess I'll wait. As long as I know it's being made. I'm not really planning on gaining or losing any weight, but I can still wait." Iris says.

"Great. I'll start writing it up as soon as I help you out of the dress and return the others to the store-room." Candice says as she heads to the dressing room and Iris follows. She helps Iris out of the dress and puts them back in the plastic and leaves the room to let Iris get dressed.

Iris was a ball of emotions after hearing what her mother told her. It certainly put things into perspective. She felt like she had to honor her father's wish. She loved Barry, she really did. She was only scared because she always wanted him to be a part of her life. She really couldn't imagine her life without him. She shed a few more tears for her father as she finished putting her clothes on. She left the dressing room and returned to a waiting Francine and Nora. They all walked to the front where they found Candice writing up the order. Francine and Nora both happily handed over their credit cards to pay for the dress.

"It was so nice meeting you and helping you find your dress. If you have any questions of anything, don't hesitate to call me." Candice says.

"Thank you so much, Candice. You were a godsend." Francine says.

"Yeah, you were. I'll invite you to the wedding." Iris says as she gives her a hug.

"I'd love that." Candice says once they've broken the hug.

Francine, Nora, and Iris left Kleinfeld's the same way they entered: arm, in arm, in arm.

 

 

* * *

 

Barry spent the majority of his time at home alone sleeping. He was tired from being up most of the night with Iris. He sort of felt guilty that she was out with their mother's, but he couldn't help how tired he was. He figured it was easier for him to sleep so that he wouldn't miss Iris too much. He slept in her bed to feel closer to her. He somehow liked her bed and room better than his own even though his room was bigger. It didn't really matter to him. It was just something about Iris' room that he felt better about being in. They alternated rooms, but he really preferred to sleep in her bed. He had to since she wasn't home.

He woke up and really started to miss her presence. He wondered what she was doing with their mother's. He wondered if she missed him too. He started thinking that he might be a little whipped since he got into a relationship with Iris. She was always his best friend and the most important person to him and that just increased once they became involved romantically. He just simply loved her and loved everything about her.

Iris returned home to find Barry lying back on her bed. He was only wearing a towel and staring at the ceiling. It was obvious that he had recently showered from the looks of things. She wondered if she was disappointed that he wasn't waiting on one knee with roses and a ring ready to propose. She then felt ridiculous for even thinking such a thing. She replayed her session with trying on dresses and was happy to see him. She realized just how much she missed him. She wondered how he'd handle her telling him that she went to try on wedding dresses and actually bought one. She wondered if that would scare him. It could. It might. It should, she thought. Even though he seemed to be more on board with them getting married than she initially was, her actually putting in an order for the dress she fell in love with could scare the hell out of him.

Then she had to tell him the part about her father. She wondered how he would take that as well. The last thing she wanted to do was send Barry running for the hills. They were only 25. They had their whole lives ahead of them to be together. Iris went and sat next to him on the bed. He didn't budge, but he moved his arm and started to rub her back. "I missed you." Barry says sweetly.

Iris turned towards him and smiled. "I missed you too."

"So, where did you and our mothers go?" Barry asks as he continues to rub her back.

"I'm afraid to tell you." She says as she smiles down at him.

"Afraid to tell me? Why? Where did you guys go?" Barry asks.

"Yes, I'm afraid to tell you. I don't want to make you have a heart attack." Iris says in a joking tone, though she's serious about not shocking the life out of Barry. She turned away from him and stared at the wall.

"What? What could you tell me that would make me have a heart attack? Unless they took you to have an orgy with some guys, I'm good." Barry says and Iris laughs.

Iris exhaled and turned towards him. She just stared into his handsome face for a moment before answering. "They took me to Chelsea’s where we had brunch, they took me to Dashing Diva where we got manicures and pedicures, and then they took me to Kleinfeld's to try on wedding dresses." She says and pauses. She stared right at Barry to let him know she wasn't joking.

Barry had a bewildered expression on his face. "They took you to try on wedding dresses?" He asks in a confused tone.

"Yes." Is all Iris says.

"You're kidding." Barry responds.

"Nope. I swear that's where they took me. I was just as shocked as you are." Iris admits as she turns her head back to stare at the wall. She really has her father on her mind.

"But we're not engaged." Barry says in a calm tone. He doesn't want to say it the wrong way to make Iris upset.

"I know. I tried to explain that to them. They refused to listen to me." Iris says.

After a beat, Barry speaks again. "Did you find something you liked?" He wonders. He's still stroking her back. He then sat up straight.

Iris turned to look at him and was afraid to answer that question. She didn't know what that would mean for them. She couldn't lie to him though. He knew her too well and deserved the truth. "Yes."

"Good. But why does it seem like you were afraid to tell me that?" He wonders.

Iris just hunched her shoulders. "Didn't want you to think the worst." She confesses.

"You do know that I want to marry you, right?" He asks as he scoots closer and puts his arm around her.

"Yes. I want to marry you too. Someone else wants us to get married too." Iris confesses.

"We already know our mothers want that, Iris." Barry says.

"Not our mothers. My father." Iris says as she puts her head on his shoulder.

"What?" Barry asks in confusion.

"My mother told me that he said he wanted me to marry you before he died. He thought you would make a good husband for me. He really appreciated all the things you did for us when he got sick and was no longer able to." Iris says as she wipes a tear away.

"Wow. I knew he appreciated it because he thanked me, but he never said anything like that to me." Barry says and he continues to rub Iris's back. "Are you ok?"

"Yes. Just thinking about him. That's all." Iris says.

"Why did your mother tell you now though?" Barry inquires.

"Because she said she was having dreams about him walking me down the aisle and took it as a sign." Iris says.

"Then I guess we're getting married." Barry says.

"I guess we are." Iris says happily.

"Just give me a chance to get you a ring and propose the right way. You'll have to act like you're surprised." Barry says as he leans over to kiss Iris on the lips.

"Deal." She says once they break the kiss and lay down on the bed and start kissing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing beats a failure but a try.

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter contains a portion of lyrics from "The Way" by Kehlani. I own no rights to those.


End file.
